The Abilities of Peak Performers

According to a 19-year study conducted by Charles Garfield, Author of the widely acclaimed Peak Performance trilogy: Peak Performers, Team Management and Second to None, there are ten make-or-break abilities that all peak performers have.

Mr. Garfield started by asking executives and managers to name the most outstanding leaders in their fields. He then conducted in-depth interviews with the 310 persons who were most frequently mentioned and as a result he identified the following ten attributes of peak performers.

1. Setting Goals

Peak performer, according to Garfield, set long-range goals and chart-detailed plans to achieve them. They analyze the steps they will need to achieve their goals, and what’s involved in each.

2. Upgrading Goals

Peak performers don’t just meet their goals. They constantly upgrade the goals once they met them. They use a progressive goal-setting method. As soon as one target or quota is met, they set a new, more difficult goal. They are always looking for ways to get out of the comfort zone.

3. Seeking Feedback

Peak performers seek expert advice and feedback more often than the average. They build a far-flung network of experts to rely on. They ask a lot of questions before making decisions and they are not shy in seeking the opinions of other people.

4. Risk Taking

Most good managers begin by researching a risk thoroughly. Some also turn to their support network asking for advice. The peak performers, however, go two steps further. First, they identify the worst possible outcome of taking the risk and see if they can live with it. This helps them to move ahead without having self-doubt. Secondly, they ask what would be the worst thing that could happen if they didn’t take the risk. Having these two questions answered is most helpful in making the decision.

5. Self Confidence

Garfield says, “Interestingly, I never heard the word ‘failure’ during my research. I heard ‘glitch’ or ‘screw up’ but never ‘failure.’ Peak performers develop a higher self-confidence because : 1. They so thoroughly prepare for all consequences. 2. They keep a running inventory of their strong points, and think back of times when their strengths helped them come through.

6. Pushing Ideas

Peak performers push longer and harder to get good ideas implemented. They don’t take the first, or second, no for an answer. The reason for this is that they have done sufficient research to be committed to their stake in the idea.

7. Responsibility and Control

Peak performers are always on the prowl for ways to expand the boundaries of their job well. They look for new ways to do their, and others’, jobs better.

8. Solving, Not Blaming

When something goes wrong, the average manager rushes to find a culprit, and affix blame. The result is that people around her/him become adept at protecting themselves. The peak performer approaches problems with a focus on solutions, not punishment. This encourages creativity in people.

9. Rehearsing

Peak performers rehearse much more than the average performers. “The actor who has rehearsed it 50 times is more likely to give a winning performance than the one who has gone over it three times.”

10. A Sense of Mission

without exception, the peak performers Garfield studied had a strong sense of mission. It isn’t money, fame, or glory they’re driven by. Rather, the most immediate impetus is a deep enjoyment of their work. A passion for work is what fuels true greatness.