I am operating at a higher level of effectiveness than I was when I started working with Eric.
Motivate People by Pursuing Excellence
Zeke Jones is a three-time NCAA wrestling champion from West Virginia. The only major blemish on his college record came as a sophomore, when he lost in the first round of the national championship after having won 46 matches straight.
As a result of that loss he learned a lesson that has guided him ever since. “If you come to the national tournament just to win, you will lose. If you come to the national tournament to dominate in the pursuit of excellence, then you wrestle your best.”
Performance Principle: Your organization is more likely to win in the pursuit of excellence rather than in the pursuit of victory alone. If you want to beat your competition, aim for something bigger than winning – aim for true excellence in what you do. If you prepare only to win, you risk ending up trying not to lose.
Champions unleash their best performances by focusing on beating the competition in the pursuit of a perfect performance. A wrestler seeks to dominate his opponent in pursuit of the perfect match. A salesperson seeks to out-produce others in her organization in pursuit of sales excellence; a leader seeks influence and power as a means to propel his team to greatness.
In addition, people have a hunger to be a part of excellence. Excellence is a long-term, sustainable goal that brings forth great performance.
Questions to Consider:
- Do your people believe they can dominate the competition in pursuit of excellence?
- What does true excellence look like in your field?
- How can you draw your people into a pursuit of personal and team excellence?
