“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” - Aristotle
I recently had the opportunity to be on the Lead on Purpose podcast with founder and host, James Laughlin. We geeked out on rugby, drumming, sports, and leadership. James is a world-renowned high-performance leadership expert and has won seven world championship titles. He now has the opportunity to interview former world leaders, pro athletes, Navy SEALs, and CEO's. I am not a world leader nor pro athlete, but I do fall into a couple of those categories and run a management consulting firm focused on building high-performance teams and leaders in organizations across the globe. So, based on our chat, we decided to co-author this article. Here you go!
Winning at all costs is often the mentality of teams striving to be the best in their field or industry. When you take a peek under the hood of world-class organizations who are performing consistently over a sustained period of time (i.e. consistent upward trends in growth and profit), you will notice something quite interesting. In our conversation, James and I discussed the subtle nuances that differentiate high-performance teams from their counterparts who clearly struggled with consistent performance, retention and burnout.
Let’s take the mental health battle for example as something we see organizations struggling with more and more. The statistics aren’t pretty. Reports show that over 42 million U.S. adults suffer from anxiety disorders whilst 21 million are living with depression. Consider those numbers within your team or organization and imagine what impact it has on your culture and effectiveness to be an industry leader. In a recent interview with James, the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Sir John Key shared, “ The most valuable asset in every team doesn’t appear on your balance sheet. It’s the one that goes up and down the elevator each day: your people.”
Sure. OK. We’ve all heard this narrative before. All leaders understand they have to invest in their talent in order to gain the most optimal business outcomes right? Well, then why is this something that is so often deprioritized?
Everything rises and falls on leadership, which suggests that high-performing teams require leaders who are committed to high-performance habits themselves. Walking the walk as a leader of a team that strives to be consistently outstanding requires the leader to uncover the hidden secrets of high-performance and then deploy the requisite behavior. While also providing the appropriate expectations, training and resources that will set the team up for success.
To be a high-performer, we must define what it truly means for the organization as it will define the parameters to operate within. It will also clarify the standards and expectations necessary for providing constructive feedback while you traverse the ups and downs of performance.
Operating above your industry ‘median’ consistently across an extended period of time would be accepted by many as the definition of high-performance. However, there’s a potential fatal flaw and missing component when the human experience isn’t clearly incorporated. The challenge with high-performing teams is finding the balance. Top performers often experience burnout more quickly leading to a decrease in engagement and performance. As leaders, the ability - and mechanisms - for identifying burnout must be a strategic priority. And therefore the habits and expectations associated with higher performance must be balanced.
What makes the difference in teams who enjoy long-term success and outstanding culture is two pronged. At Taking Point Leadership, our HPT Attributes model begins with two dimensions: (1) Relationships, and (2) Results. We completed extensive research and discovered one undeniable fact - all teams are made up of people! And occasionally animals! Either way, this covers the importance of the Relationships dimension. And Results, of course, because all high-performing teams and organizations are hyper-focused on results. They manage and measure everything that is critical for mission success.
We further break the Relationships dimension into three pillars:
- Transparency - psychological safety, radical candor, openness
- Trust - support, consistency, follow-though, autonomy
- Tone - behavioral standards, values, communication style
The Results dimension is broken down into these three pillars:
- Accountability - clear expectations and roles, extreme ownership
- Alignment - alignment in strategy, priorities, and behavior
- Agility - adaptive, well-prepared to successfully navigate change
The leader who understands that maintaining harmonious and deep relationships combined with the obvious importance of delivering results has a powerful competitive advantage over their competitors.
Bringing High-Performance to Life.
For Self:
- Vision precedes victory. It is paramount that you clearly define what success looks like. Ask yourself, “in order for me - or the team - to be a high-performer, what must happen to make this a reality?”
- Self-evaluation is the seed of self-mastery. Make time consistently to reflect upon the three P’s: progress, presence and purpose.
- The quality of your relationships define the quality of your life. Ask yourself, “who most needs me to show up powerfully for them today?”
- If you don’t make time for health, you’d better make time for sickness. Mental and physical wellness are not just a nice-to-have. Especially as a leader of people. It is imperative.
For Teams:
- Choose to invest rather then divest. Pour time, resources and mentorship into your team. Show them that you truly value them and want to see them grow and succeed.
- Embrace empathy. Before a one-on-one conversation or a team meeting, ask yourself, “How can I lead with empathy in this moment?”
- Encourage participation, and reward excellence. Be intentional and specific with your praise, and ensure that those who are performing above the expected norms are being recognized.
- Lead the way. Create a psychologically safe space for everyone on your team to have frank and open discussions around performance, obstacles, toxicity, accountability, trust, mental and physical wellbeing. Anything. Leaders who show authentic vulnerability and openness will pave the way for others to follow suit.
What attributes and habits does your team currently authentically embrace? Where does the team thrive? Who does the team fall short? Regardless of your title or tenure, how will you help the team level up?
Figure it out and go get it done!
