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I think it’s vital that people remember that the behavior change required for achieving remarkable things, for having this high-performing mindset and, indeed, creating high-performing environments is a science. It doesn’t happen by anecdote. It doesn’t happen by wishing or manifesting. It happens because we remember a number of things.
Knowledge is required for behavior change. Please note this is not awareness. People love talking about awareness, but it’s the sickly stepchild of knowledge. It delivers none of the impact. And indeed, we know this because if you ever went to anyone consequential to your health, like a doctor or dentist, and they were going to do a procedure on you and you asked them about it and they said, “Yeah. You know, I’m aware of this procedure.” No. You are not going to drill my tooth with awareness. You want them to have a deep integrated knowledge. For those people out there wanting to do something remarkable, an awareness of what it takes to get there is not going to get the job done.
So knowledge is really important. Real, tangible capabilities and skills are going to be required. Some of them will be new to you. Some of them will be things you have, but haven’t considered. The real self-assurance about those and a willingness to increase, adapt them, and take critical feedback about them is going to be essential if you want to be a high performer.
Opportunity is an interesting one. It’s this idea that you have to be able to both recognize opportunities, but also recognize you sit in a system where just what you want to do and your opinions will not always be enough. You have to develop skills to influence and motivate others to support and help your particular strategic imperative.
And then motivation is a big part. You know, I talk about motivation a lot, but it isn’t just this nonstop enthusiasm. It comes, it builds, it wanes over time. And so knowing how you’re going to build your own motivation, something that has real gravity to drive you when everything else around you tells you that it’s futile. What are you going to do that gives that kind of gravity so that when the environment around you looks truly bleak, you still can go on?