I’ve been fortunate to have a very strong end to the year in my business and have spent a lot of time in November and December speaking about strategy with some great companies. As I watch these companies mature and grow, I have noticed some consistent themes in observing their high-performers. On a regular basis, I see the following behaviors from top-performing team members:
Get Comfortable With Discomfort – Often the best teams get so focused on improving that they gain a level of comfort with learning and stretching their capabilities that outstrip their normal comfort zone. In essence, these folks re-calibrate and establish a new normal where they are aware that they’re outside of familiar territory, yet they are calm and confident. These teams accept that they must remain focused on opportunity and growth, and drive positive change by remaining open and positive.
Get Comfortable With Doing Extra – Another welcome aspect of the highest performing teams is that they get rid of the notion that they have a job with a tightly defined job description, and stretch themselves out to do everything they can to influence positive results. When this is going well, those talented teams do more than they are asked to do, and regularly go beyond their normal responsibilities, expanding their role, and doing more to help their team to greater success.
Expect and Demand Ownership – I’ve noticed that the best performers go beyond. They go beyond simply expecting results and accountability from themselves, they expect it consistently from every member of the team. They go the extra mile to ensure that EVERY member of the team is aware of the contributions and commitments of every OTHER member of the team and accept the responsibility to match the contributions of others on the team. They expect ownership mentality from everyone and accept no less.
They Operate At A Higher Level – The highest-performing team members almost look like they were a sitting member of a board of directors, they are so plugged in. They demonstrate a high level of understanding of the business, how their work drives results for the team, the department, or the larger organization. The level of commitment and care of the top producing teams is astounding, and they don’t just go through the motions, they get deep into the fabric of the organization and drive the vision and mission.
Those are some of the things I’ve noticed in my travels recently, and I wanted to share them with you. It’s gratifying to be able to work with many companies that are growing and maturing before my eyes, and learning to advance the sustainability of the business model. Often, that is the result of teams maturing under the great leadership teams who are setting the organization up for a brighter future by providing brilliant business guidance. I’d love to hear your stories about some of the great things you’ve noticed about highly-performing business teams that you’ve witnessed. Have you noticed some other great behaviors or habits of top-performers? Add a comment below, and send us an email at info@michaelbeachcoach.com and we’ll send you our 15 Business Leadership Best Practices.
