Performance Traits That Top Athletes, Musical Prodigies, & CEOs Have in Common

I’m always impressed by people who truly strive to make every one of their performances a spectacular one. I love watching people be REALLY good at their craft, whether it’s a physical feat or an artistic one. (Or both!!)  More importantly, I love hearing from those high-caliber pros in sports, the arts, and in business on HOW they created those impressive showings.

Last week the C-Suite Network Digital Discussion hosted by C-Suite Network Chairman Jeffrey Hayzlett was held. Jeffrey interviewed two first-class experts, Dr. Michael Gervais, High-Performance Psychologist, and Co-Founder of Compete to Create, and Dr. Noa Kageyama, 

Performance Psychologist, Bulletproof Musician, and Faculty at The Juilliard School, to discuss how the world’s top performers face and conquer fear and adversity. They also talked about how to distinguish between those with high potential and the high performers within your team and shared specific strategies and mindsets we all can use to persevere through adversity and achieve peak status.

Here are the top five takeaways I got from listening to these peak performance masters, every one of which I am focusing on in order to become a stronger leader:

Resides in the present

Michael Gervais described the traits that business leaders can look for in seeking out high performers. While there are certain aspects that are empirically beneficial to high performance — clarity of purpose, relentlessness, and authentic expression — the one characteristic that is what Gervais described as “the keyhole to high performance” is living in the present moment. Jeffrey Hayzlett reflected on the importance of presence, especially in this current business climate: “Leaders need to be centered. You need to stand in the middle of the chaos and do what you have to do as a leader.” And sometimes that just means doing Jeff’s favorite go-to mindfulness strategy (and mine!): to simply BREATHE.

 

Beware the FOPO

Gervais shared that FOPO, or Fear Of People’s Opinions, is one of the biggest challenges to high performance. When we stop attaching our outcomes to the opinions of others, we become free to experiment, grow, and evolve our thinking. Hayzlett further added later that night at the C-Suite Network Member Mixer that he addresses FOPO by offering this nugget of awesome: “‘Thank you for your assessment’ is a great way to respond. It’s just an assessment; it doesn’t mean that it’s right or wrong.”

 

Optimism is serious business

Mental toughness is required to fight off FOPO, and optimism is the center of mental toughness, Gervais said. “If the mind is left untrained, the brain will win.” Our brains are hard-wired for survival, and that program isn’t always the best one to execute for high performance. Rather, it’s far more beneficial to consciously choose the optimistic response. Train your brain to manage your mindset, and strive for the positive choice, every moment, every dang day. Because it matters.

 

Practice. Really. FOR REAL.

Dr. Kageyama stressed that practicing, recording, reviewing, and identifying improvements in our performances is the least favorite aspect of high performance but it’s also the most important. Great performers successfully separate who they are with what they do. “Being great at their craft is hugely satisfying and worth the pain of practicing”, Dr. Kageyama said. Hayzlett echoed the sentiment by reminding the audience that, “If you want to be a maestro, you have to be willing to play a lot of bad notes”.

 

Aim for Delicious

Sometimes we can get caught in the trap of chasing after perfection. Dr. Kageyama shared a story about a conversation he had with a premier chef. The maestro of the kitchen stated that “the aim of being a great chef is to be delicious, not exact.” That delicious expression of who we are as individuals is what truly resonates with our audiences, not just our polished, technical expertise. In all that we do, whether professional or personal, let’s all “aim for delicious.” (I’m half-thinking of getting it as a tattoo. #aimfordelicious)

 

Dr. Kageyama finished his interview by reiterating that high performers recognize that, “Being great at their craft is hugely satisfying and worth the pain of practicing.” Isn’t that the truth!

Whether it’s practicing mindfulness techniques to stay in the present moment and insulated from FOPO or practicing my craft of facilitation, keynote performance, or comedy by watching game footage, I am eagerly accepting the invitation to do what it takes to show up stronger, deliver better, and connect deeper. I want to practice taking more risks, taking more chances, and doing things differently. Because that’s what true leaders in the c-suite do to drive and thrive.

I love being surrounded by high performers, especially those in the C-Suite Network! Since bringing my awareness to the teachings I have learned in the Digital Discussions and Executive Leadership Forums, I have found myself far more focused. Clearer. More productive. And most importantly, more INSPIRED. As a thought leader in mindful performance and C-Suite Radio podcast host, I am always discovering how top leaders in business deliver their best performances so I can not only improve myself but also help others accelerate their businesses in the Thought Council! If you want to join me for the next digital discussion from the c-suite, become an Executive Leader. It’s a great way to stay abreast of up-to-the-minute relevant business insights that will not only inspire you but also make you one of the most strategic people in the room.

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