It was a great, but simple, question “What is high performance?” asked by someone that I met at @Media Stables #MeetTheMedia event and also at the Wellbeing at Work summit in Sydney recently.
A lot of people struggle to clearly define the term “high performance” and I feel its use has been diluted significantly over the past decade.
Being high performance is not just constrained to sport it can exist in many areas of life whether it be leadership, dance, music, customer service and many other areas in life. Let’s use a sport example to start with.
If you were to get Charles Le Clerc, a Formula 1 driver, to drive first a Toyota Camry and second a Ferrari at the absolute best of their ability on a race track, one car would be high performance and the other would just average performance.
Both cars have four wheels, have a chassis, have an engine, have breaks, have a steering wheel, etc… They both have have mastered the 99%ers. One company was just prepared to take the risk and go all in to the 1%ers while mastering the 99%ers.
Let’s take Charles and get him to drive the same Toyota Camry against John a father who drives his car every day to work and got them to drive the car to the best of their ability on a race track, one would showcase high performance driving and the other wouldn’t.
Like many things in life it has been used as a marketing tool to foster greater mediocrity or to give people a feel good perception and improved performance rather than actual achieve high performance.
What most people describe as high performance habits or being high performance is in fact just performing well.
High performance is not just finishing the race by applying the basics really well. It’s being in contention to win the race if not winning the race.
How does your current performance affect, both positive and negative, your gravity of leadership?
Before I get to how I define high performance, let’s look at how it is described in the dictionary. “Designed to perform at high standards” and being “Better, faster or more efficient than others”
Based on these definitions, it can’t just be doing the basics it an extremely high level. There is something else.
High performance is a steep mountain top that requires a lot of dedication, hard work and ingenuity to get to and the ridge is so small that you can quite easily fall off either side. Either a healthy drop in performance or an unhealthy drop that has negative consequences.
The rewards in business, sport, life and what ever you devote yourself to can be very high when you get into a high performance state, but it can also go wrong if you don’t quite get the recipe right.
As a leader it is ok not to be achieving high performance all the time, in fact it is healthy.
Achieving and sustaining high performance takes a lot of mental, emotional and physical focus, so you need time where it’s ok to just be in a performance or even non-performance mode to take the pressure off and allow the body to recharge and refocus.
At times life requires us to just get things done. It can be a bit messy. It can be far from perfect. You just have to get things done while you neglect your health, energy, routines, focusing your attention and other important elements to being a great leader.
We quite often here people saying it’s all about the 1%ers to achieve a high level of success. An interesting approach as it means focusing on really advanced skills and techniques, which are highly dependent on mastering foundational and moderately advanced skills to a high level first.
Then there are people that suggest it’s all about mastering the basics or fundamentals, otherwise known as the 99%ers. This will get you to high level of performance but doesn’t mean you will be high performance.
There is still a question whether all attributes of high performance can be trained or does nature, your DNA, play a big part?
After working in High Performance Sport and business for the past 26 years, let’s look at how I consider different levels of performance:
Non-Performance – not trying to improve
Low Performance – trying to do the 1%ers without first developing the 99% (fundamentals)
Average Performance – Randomly giving everything and anything a go.
Performance – doing the 99% (fundamentals) well but not being prepared to do the hard work, taking the risk or having the talent to step into the world of 1%ers and master them.
High Performance – Producing world-class results by first mastering the 99% (fundamentals) and then persistently seeking and fine tuning the 1%ers.
To achieve and consistently achieve a high performance state or mode of being, you first must lay a solids foundation, consistently maintain it and then seek and fine tune the 1%ers.
High performance leadership requires a lot of dedication, determination, grit and patience along with It accountability and guidance. Who are the people in your team or someone external who can hold you accountable, provide you with appropriate feedback and the inspiration to keep improving?
When it comes to your gravity of leadership, what 99%ers do you need to master first, every day, before you devote time to the 1%ers so you can continue to move towards high performance?
Craig is a 10x National Champion, International coach and CEO turned high performance leadership expert, international speaker and and Inspiring Great Leaders Podcast host.
He is the CEO & Managing Partner of Speakers Institute Corporate, a high performance leadership expert, and a leadership, high performance and workplace culture keynote speaker.
Learn more about how Craig is working with a diverse team of exceptional human beings to inspire great leaders at www.speakersinstitutecorporate.com.
Book Craig as a Speaker and learn how to become a high performing leader by going to www.craigjohns.com.au for more on the Gravity of Leadership, Break The CEO Code and Atomic Pressure.
READ MORE ARTICLES
How Heavy is the Weight of the World on Your Shoulders Link How Gravity of Leadership Effects Your Impact Link Beyond The Comfort Zone Link High Performers Cultivate More Powerful Traits Link Are You Living Link People Are Our Greatest Assets Link Are Leaders Born? Link
What if I write this and people realise I don’t know what I am talking about? Why should people listen to me? What gives me the right to write this article?”
Sound familiar? We all have imposter thoughts in our life where the inner voice, that little voice inside our head, doubts our worthiness to do something, hold a position or share our thoughts despite our successes and experiences in life.
“To stop feeling like an imposter, you have to stop thinking like an imposter.”
There’s nothing wrong with occasional self-doubt or the running dialogue that sometimes appears in our minds.
No one is immune. In fact research has shown that at least 70% of people have experienced Imposter Syndrome and my guess is that the other 30% are possibly lying.
What might surprise many of you is that Imposter Syndrome is more likely to affect the high achievers who set extremely high standards for themselves and are committed to maximising their potential; success driven people like athletes and musicians; and those whose words have great impact on others such as educators, government officials, coaches, C-Suite and speakers.
“The beauty of the impostor syndrome is you vacillate between extreme egomania and a complete feeling of: ‘I’m a fraud! Oh God, they’re onto me! I’m a fraud!’ So you just try to ride the egomania when it comes and enjoy it, and then slide through the idea of fraud.” – Actress, Writer & Producer Tina Fey, from her book Bossypants
It likes to show up when we are out of our comfort zone, when there are high stakes on the line, doing something new, just made a mistake or we elevate the risks involved.
This could be when you start a new job, receive an award, gain a promotion, take on extra responsibility or are in job negotiations.
It may be when you are a first time parent, speak in public, teach others, start your own business or find yourself being in a position of being an extreme minority.
The key, most experts agree, is frequency of the imposter thoughts. Most people feel like an imposter at some point in their lives, so how do we ensure that they remain as infrequent thoughts and not become a regular debilitating occurrence?
What is Imposter Syndrome
Imposter Syndrome, otherwise known as Impostorism, Imposter Phenomenon or Fraud syndrome was first termed in 1978 by American psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Limes.
It is a vicious cycle of effort, dissatisfaction, fear and self-deprecating thoughts. It can be paralysing for people who are unable to do things they have done before or are highly capable of doing.
Thoughts such as “I will be found out”, “I don’t deserve this position”, “Somebody must have made a mistake”, and “It’s a matter of time before everyone finds out”, are common with people experiencing Imposter Syndrome in the workplace.
“When you feel unworthy, any kind response, positive feedback or reward feels like a trick, a scam, the luck of the draw.” “Humility and worthiness have nothing at all to do with defending our territory. We don’t have to feel like a fraud to also be gracious, open or humble.” Seth Godin
Despite their objective successes, people who experience Imposter Syndrome fail to internalise their accomplishments, have persistent feelings of self-doubt and are held back by the fear of being exposed as a fraud or imposter.
This feeling of inadequacy is formed by a belief that you don’t belong, don’t have the right skills and at some point in time, everyone will see that you’re just not good enough.
According to psychologist Audrey Ervin, Imposter Syndrome can happen to anyone “who isn’t able to internalise and own their successes”.
For some people they will credit luck or the help of others rather than crediting their own innate skills. It can destroy any ability to take credit for your own success.
They may experience thoughts such as “It’s all down to luck”, “It’s just a fluke”, “I tricked people into thinking that I am good enough”, “It helps that I know the right people” and “It must just be the right place, right time”.
It can become self-perpetuating, where those who feel inadequate may over-prepare and the more preparation they do the better they will perform. If an event, meeting or presentation doesn’t go well it will accentuate Imposter Syndrome for them.
Imposter Syndrome isn’t particularly a diagnosis or a medical problem but rather a pattern of thinking that can lead to self-doubt, negative self-talk and missed opportunities. This identity challenge can cause anxiety, unhappiness and fear of failure.
It happens to both men and women. It’s not limited to a specific personality type. Career field and success level are irrelevant. So, what is the common factor? A failure to accept one’s own success or competency.
Quite often people will base their reality on their perception of what other people are thinking rather than what they actually think. These quick to make assumptions moments, the narrative we are telling ourselves can be quite crippling.
Being able to recognise the unhelpful thoughts, question their validity, and gradually rein them in is the key overcoming Imposter Syndrome.
When does it occur?
Imposter thoughts like to show up at moments of success, right before confidence strikes.
They also like to show up after success. We doubt whether we really belong and maybe it was a stroke of luck or someone else who made it possible for us to achieve what we did. You may even feel relief or distress in place of happiness and pride.
For some the imposter thoughts stem from authority figures, such as a boss, coach or family member, and how your confidence is linked to their validation of whether you are successful or not. Where do we sit in the hierarchy?
Think about the performance parent’s out on the children’s sports fields who demand more from their children or even rewarding them with a treat if they score a goal.
“internally I think I’m never good enough. I’ve never told myself that I’ve done a good job but I do know I constantly tell myself that I suck or I could do better … Every time a new opportunity arises my first thought is, ‘wow, why me?’ Naomi Osaka
Memories of feeling your grades weren’t good enough for your parents, child-labeling at home and at school, or you can’t keep up with your brother or sister can leave a lasting impression
Imposter Syndrome can also be linked to anxiety, depression, neuroticism, insecurity, introversion, social dysfunction and even feelings of isolation. What are the side effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that we aren’t seeing yet?
The expectations social media places on us to show what we are achieving or a feeling of wanting to keep up with the Joneses. They like seeing people doing well, but it also increases their internal pressure to achieve more or feel like they aren’t capable.
“The more people who look or sound like you, the more confident you feel. And conversely, the fewer people who look or sound like you, it can and does for many people impact their confidence.”
An interesting phenomenon is occurring in business where there has been a huge trend towards data based decision making and focusing on measuring everything in the workplace in the drive towards what people see as high performance.
What many companies and people don’t realise is that an excessive focus on measuring everything can lead to a lowering of performance as the pressure becomes too high and Imposter Syndrome paralyses many people.
It can happen at work (believe they are not good enough), at home (totally unprepared to raise a child), at school (fear of being clueless when answering a question) and in relationships (I am not good enough for this person).
It is important to realise that there is nothing wrong with you when you experience imposter thoughts, you don’t quite meet your expectations or things don’t quite go to plan.
Remember the:
Best athletes screw up
Best lawyers lose cases
Best actors star in flops
Best friends dont always make the best partners
We are all human, we all make mistakes and we can all learn.
The Effects of Imposter Syndrome
Imposter Syndrome can result in downshifting where you don’t fulfil your potential because of the poor perception of your skills. This can lead to a drop in performance and job satisfaction while increasing the chances of burnout.
The self-sabotaging behaviour of Imposter Syndrome can lead to a fear of success, failure, exposure or even being judged.
Those experiencing Imposter Syndrome are likely to either work ten times harder or do the polar opposite where they freeze and do nothing.
Their focus tends towards their shadow, which leads to questioning themselves where they second or even third guess their ability.
“Every time I was called on in class, I was sure that I was about to embarrass myself. Every time I took a test, I was sure that it had gone badly. And every time I didn’t embarrass myself—or even excelled—I believed that I had fooled everyone yet again. One day soon, the jig would be up.” Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook
Others may find it hard to accept praise, downplay acknowledgements, deny their own success or even apologise for themselves even when they actually didn’t do anything wrong
This lack of self-confidence, self doubt, self belief and self esteem can lead to feelings of isolation, rejection and inadequacy.
In some aspects of society the tall poppy syndrome can result in people showing excess humility, as well as avoiding taking responsibility and expressing confidence because they think people may see them as obnoxious or over-compensating.
Yes, some of the effects of imposter syndrome can be debilitating, but there are also some very important benefits.
People who are experiencing Imposter thoughts or Imposter Syndrome tend to listen more intently, ask better questions, be more empathetic, work harder and invest their time in collaborative efforts.
Because of their curiosity they tend to hold more frequent eye contact, lean forward more and be engaged.
It can help people strive for higher standards as long as they can control their perfectionism without catastrophizing.
Those with Imposter Syndrome can feel alienated as though they dont fit it, however what they don’t realise is that you can move to a feeling of belonging and bonding by speaking out about your imposterism.
When you speak out it unlocks other people who will confide in you as they also have experienced imposter thoughts or imposter syndrome. You are not alone!
Take on a growth mindset. Mistakes are only mistakes if you don’t learn and grow from them.
Strategies to Overcome Imposter Syndrome
The most important thing to realise is that if you are experiencing Imposter Syndrome, that you are not alone.
Many hugely successful people, such as Michelle Obama, Albert Einstein, Maya Angeliou, Sir Richard Branson, Naomi Osaka and Seth Godin have built amazing careers even while regularly coping with it.
Identifying and knowing the signs of when imposter thoughts have progressed to Imposter Syndrome is really important before you can overcome Imposter Syndrome.
Here are some powerful strategies to overcome Imposter Syndrome:
Separate feelings from facts – Feelings are not always true, so it’s important to determine whether the thought is a feeling or you can back it up as a fact. Focus on the facts.
Make friends with it – Acknowledge and recognise the feelings. Change the way you look at imposter thoughts to just simply observing the thought rather than engaging with it.
Be kind to yourself – give yourself a break from the constant and never-ending pursuit of excellence, and let go of perfectionist tendencies are important when dealing with recurring imposter thoughts. Yes, being focused, determined and persistent in your pursuit of something is at times necessary, but not at the expense of it becoming debilitating and paralysing in your performance.
Stop the talk and take action – Change your thoughts, change your actions. When you recognise an imposter thought, don’t engage with it, instead choose to reframe a negative thought into a positive thought. When you experience an imposter thought, think about how you can reframe the negative thought into a positive opportunity to learn, grow and refocus. Take a growth mindset approach and rewrite the rules.
Focus on successes – Track your successes and the positive feedback you hear from other people each day. Referring to them when you have feelings of doubt, insecurity and inability is a valuable way to turn the negative self-talk into positive self-talk.
Share your thoughts – No one should suffer in silence, so when you experience imposter thoughts, have someone, maybe a manager, mentor or friend, that you can speak to, send a message or confide in by sharing your thoughts and feelings.
Be open to saying YES – For those experiencing Imposter Syndrome it is common to turn down career enhancing opportunities. Switch from the inner dialogue in your head saying you cant do it because you aren’t ready or worthy of it, to let me trust this person who believes I am ready for this opportunity.
Allocate reflective thinking time – Pay attention to when you hear imposter thoughts, write them down and allocate a specific time to reflect on the thoughts and how you can reframe those thoughts.
Build courage by taking risks – Set yourself a goal to do something for the first time each day. This habit of placing yourself outside your comfort zone and taking more risks will help you build your self belief and confidence.
Ask the question – Does that thought help or hinder me? Being able to identify what type of thought it is, makes it easier to manage the thought. Do you disregard it, focus on it or reframe it?
Power of visualisation and mindfulness – Using effective mindset tools you can reduce the quantity of imposter thoughts. First by practicing mindfulness to free your mind of ineffective thoughts. Second by focusing on visualising your successes and how you can repeat them.
Power of Positive Self-Talk – Focus on using positive affirmations and self talk so you condition the mind with the power of positivity. Focusing on saying thoughts such as “I believe in my abilities,” and “I think this is something I can get good at.” are great ways to overcome Imposter Syndrome.
Turn a limiting belief into an empowering belief – As humans we form beliefs and overtime some can form into limiting beliefs that hold us back from achieving our potential. By changing your limiting belief into an empowering new belief, it can relieve your constraints.
“If someone offers you an amazing opportunity and you are not sure you can do it, say yes. Then learn how to do it later.” Sir Richard Branson
It’s time for you to grow your inner voice to outshine the inner critic.
Give yourself a break, separate feelings from facts and know you have full control over your thoughts.
Craig is a 10x National Champion, International coach and CEO turned high performance leadership expert, international speaker and and Inspiring Great Leaders Podcast host.
He is the CEO & Managing Partner of Speakers Institute Corporate, a high performance leadership expert, and a leadership, high performance and workplace culture keynote speaker.
Learn more about how Craig is working with a diverse team of exceptional human beings to inspire great leaders at www.speakersinstitutecorporate.com.
Book Craig as a Speaker and learn how to become a high performing leader by going to www.craigjohns.com.au for more on the Gravity of Leadership, Break The CEO Code and Atomic Pressure.
READ MORE ARTICLES
How Heavy is the Weight of the World on Your Shoulders Link How Gravity of Leadership Effects Your Impact Link Beyond The Comfort Zone Link High Performers Cultivate More Powerful Traits Link Are You Living Link People Are Our Greatest Assets Link Are Leaders Born? Link
Have you ever wondered what allows someone to achieve high levels of success?
Whether in sport, business, leadership, music, art or many other areas of life, they find a way to achieve extraordinary things. They may be extremely gifted, but quite often they aren’t the most talented.
What separates the best from the rest, the ordinary from the extraordinary?
Successful leadership requires a high performance mindset and approach.
Being relentless in your pursuit of performance is important if you want to succeed, however you need to be relentless without being ruthless and reckless if you want to leave a profound legacy without the train wreck that follows so many successful people.
Before you dive in further, let’s first understand what relentless, ruthless and reckless mean in the context of leadership and high performance.
RELENTLESS – non-stop commitment
Someone who is relentless is determined to do something and refuses to give up. They will continue to pursue a goal, continually overcoming obstacles and creating new paths when one is leading in the wrong direction.
It doesn’t mean they will necessarily be full speed ahead 24/7, although as you see below they can be. They will be fixated on an outcome and for some they will do whatever they can at all costs.
RUTHLESS – taking no prisoners
A ruthless person will do or pursue something no matter the costs to other people or themselves. They are mean, show no mercy and don’t care about a person’s, others or theirs, feelings or emotions.
Ruthless people lack compassion, are considered very harsh or cruel, will do anything that is necessary to achieve what they want and are determined to succeed without caring about others.
RECKLESS – careless of consequences
Taking a reckless approach means a person doesn’t care about getting bad results or the negative consequences that occur as a result or your actions. They disregard danger and the effect their behaviour will have on other people.
Warning signs don’t enter the memory sphere and are considered wasted space. The risks involved aren’t either considered or are disregarded for a bigger result.
When All 3 R’s Collide
It is likely that you have seen people act in a relentless, ruthless or reckless way. You may have seen people act in a combination of two or all three of them and in most cases the trail of destruction isn’t pretty.
If we are all being honest with ourselves, a majority, if not all, of us have been in situations where we have experienced modes of each one and combinations of the three. I know I have and the times where all 3 aligned are not some of my favourite memories.
“When I was 14 years old I broke my arm while playing touch rugby at school.My relentless approach to winning and in field hockey helping my team win meant I would continue playing with an arm in a cast.We were winning by 5 goals and on my relentless approach to continue adding to my 47 consecutive successful penalty stroke conversions, I shifted into a ruthless and reckless mode of disregarding the thoughts of my teammates by deciding to take a penalty stroke with the broken arm.Joe was a highly accomplished penalty stroke taker and great co-leader, but my ego kicked in and I had to take it.I ended up missing the goal and breaking my unbeaten successful attempts.“
Craig Johns
Relentless Pursuit of Athletic Dominance
Michael Jordan is regarded as one of the all time best athletes the planet has seen. His pursuit of excellence is second to none. Relentless in every approach to being the best basketball player the planet has ever seen. Ruthless in his addiction to bringing the best out of his teammates for the collective goal of winning, but at times reckless in regards to the long-term mental and physical toll inflicted on them.
If we look at the 3 greatest male tennis players of recent times, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, they all excel in their relentless pursuit of excellence.
Djokovic has a massive team and will leave no stone unturned in finding that extra 0.001% of performance, however his ruthless approach to getting what he wants is well publicised and even more his reckless disregard of the consequences of his actions was for all of the world to see as he his visa was cancelled on trying to enter the 2022 Australian Open.
Nadal is relentless in his preparation and routine to achieve the performance state that it takes to win global majors. His ruthless attention to his own routines has quite often impacted other people. However, is not likely to show signs of recklessness as he is quite calculated in his approach to winning.
Federer on the other hand is relentless in ensuring all aspects of his life thrive while understanding the changing needs of his body as he ages. Over the past decade he has shown a relentless approach to finding a way to win or stay in the game. The ruthless and reckless aspects of his personality from his younger days have disappeared.
Business Is Not Bigger Than the People
Shifting into the business world, let’s compare 3 highly successful business leaders Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Indra Nooyi.
Musk is noted for his relentless pursuit of new innovations. He is known for his long work hours and ruthless approach to the working environment. The collateral damage in his reckless disregard of his personal life has led to his 3rd marriage and his children don’t speak to him. Also known for his unorthodox or unscientific stances and controversial public statements. At what cost has success been for Musk?
Facebook changed the shape of our lives and how we view it. In Zuckerberg’s relentless pursuit of socially connecting the world, the negative consequences have resulted in a reckless disregard to the mental health of humanity. He was ruthless in crushing the competition, acquiring rival companies and copying innovative features with a single-minded purpose of being the best and most dominant social media conglomerate.
Nooyi is one of the pioneers of the new leadership. Her relentless approach to being human centric and changing the way the Pepsico was perceived is admired by many people around the world. She has done it in a compassionate and humble way without the need for being ruthless and reckless.
High Performing Leaders
The true high performing leader’s relentless pursuit of an outcome or excellence is all about being 100% present and focused when on task, and switching off to recharge and recover in between high energy focused efforts.
“I learned this the hard way between 2012-2014 when I stepped into my first C-Suite role leading a team of 500 people from 22 nationalities and highly talented people in the sport, health, mind, education and hospitality industries.My relentless approach led to working intensely for 70-80hrs a week over 302 days straight.
Our ruthless approach to demanding excellence, removing people who weren’t up to our high standards and crazy drive to be world leading at everything we did led to recklessly flatlining in hospital.I had let my own inner drive to win become win at all costs and it led to quite a lonely time where I had put work before my people and my health.
This led to a conversation where I realised I needed to Break The CEO Code and implement the high performance skills I had learnt and excelled at as an athlete and sport coach.
The result is I relentlessly focused on scheduling, focusing and investing in my energy to ensure that I avoided moments of ruthless and reckless behaviour.“
Craig Johns
They are driven to achieve results, make effective decisions and exceed expectations through bringing the best out of themselves and the people they work with.
To bring their best performance mindset, performance and productivity, they know they need to integrate regular exercise, good nutrition, a calm mind and purposeful recovery into their daily environment.
They work hard, but more importantly work smart in their relentless pursuit achieving a higher level of individual, team, company and industry performance. Knowing what to focus on, where to place their energy and how to use their talents is a priority to a high performing leader.
Wellbeing, enjoyment, purpose and inspired people fuel their approach to leading highly successful teams. Work is all about precision, efficiency and detail and never settling for anything less than excellence. The leaders are concerned about providing an environment where people can thrive and not just survive in their role.
Removing the Unnecessary
To be relentless without being ruthless or reckless requires precision in planning, preparation and people management. Your instinct and how you react has everything to do with your practice. What you practice becomes your performance.
Take some time to remove the unnecessary risks and actions so you and your team can thrive no matter what the world throws your way.
It’s time to take a selfless proactive approach to your leadership so you can relentlessly pursue your vision and goals without ruthlessly affecting other people and reckless creating harm.
Remember a relentless non-stop commitment means you do everything you can be on when you need to be and also off to recharge. Leadership and high performance is not about taking no prisoners and being careless of the consequences.
Spend some time to reflect on your leadership and pursuit of a vision, goal or excellence. Write down any aspects of ruthless and reckless leadership. Next to this list write down what you could do that wouldn’t have any negative effects on other people or danger to yourself and the company. Now take action to implement these changes while still being relentless.
Be an Inspiring Great Leader.
READ MORE ARTICLES
How Heavy is the Weight of the World on Your Shoulders Link How Gravity of Leadership Effects Your Impact Link Beyond The Comfort Zone Link High Performers Cultivate More Powerful Traits Link Are You Living Link People Are Our Greatest Assets Link Are Leaders Born? Link
