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Peak performance never just happens. Whether in business or sports, there are some identifiable levels that are a part of every success story. Where are you strong? Where could you level up?

Level 1: Self-Awareness – this is a journey not a destination. Self-aware people are always growing in their awareness. Knowing who you are and embracing who you are, these are core components of self-awareness.

Self-aware is about both how you see you and if you understand how you are perceived by others.

Level 2: Embrace Your Brain – successful people control their thoughts and the direction of those thoughts, rather than being hijacked by their brain. I’ve always said that leaders are learners. Self-aware leaders learn about the amazing & powerful brain and how it can get in their way.

Level 3: Check Your Ego – success always demands a healthy dose of ego. Too little and success is not possible because a small ego will not allow you to take the risks necessary. Too much ego and you will not be aware of the cracks in your armor that can easily derail a successful journey. Successful people don’t think of themselves as more than they are and they certainly don’t think of themselves as less than they are.

Level 4: Know Your Comfort Zone – No peak performance ever happened inside a comfort zone. Successful people learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. There are 3 zones of which to be aware: Comfort, Learning and Panic. The Learning Zone is where success resides. Panic does nothing positive.

Level 5: Eliminate Blame – A success journey is paved with accepting responsibility for decisions, attitude, words and actions. Blame will not be found on this road. You may not like your circumstances, you may not have chosen them, but if you blame people/circumstances you’ll also never succeed through them.

Level 6: Self-Talk – Positive self-talk is a hallmark of successful people. Elite athletes have learned how to deal with failure, for instance, not allowing negative experiences to weigh them down. Instead, elite people use failure and difficulty as learning tools.

If you wouldn’t let your friends talk to you the way you talk to yourself, you can make a choice to value yourself more.

Level 7: Self-Care – If you are not at your best, your body and mind will not be able to support your drive to succeed. Sleep, diet, hobbies and relationships are just a few of the components to consider in taking care of yourself. Successful people take care of themselves, realizing that self-care is not selfish.

Where are you succeeding? Where can you level up?

In addition to the business leaders and businesses that I work with, I spend a lot of time with sports teams as well.  The similarities are endless because they both involve human beings and what I do is all about people. It’s people who help a team succeed in business. It’s people who win championships in sports. No matter where you find yourself, the culture in which you live and work is YOUR responsibility.

In October, I was privileged to continue my work with Denison University Swim & Dive teams. When I was with the mens’ team, the 2018 DIII National Champions, I posed the question: “Who holds this team accountable?”

One young man said, “I do.” After a pause he added: “We should all be saying that!”

BOOM!

That’s a championship culture! They got it. I got it. I’ve asked that question across the country and that’s the best answer I’ve ever heard.

The individual athlete always does better when they are on a team and that team lives out accountability. In a Championship Culture, each individual MODELS the culture, REINFORCES the culture, and PROTECTS the culture.

That approach will require some tough decisions along the way. Behaviors that don’t model, reinforce, or protect the culture must be ruled out of bounds, unacceptable. Coaches need to speak. up. Athletes need to speak up.

You know what your culture is by what happens when the coaches aren’t around. That’s why everyone on a championship team is accountable for the culture and corresponding behaviors.

It’s a journey to that place. And every season there are new converts to be made and long-time converts to keep connected.

Here are some ways it works in the every day:

Is what you are _______________, MODELING, REINFORCING, or PROTECTING the culture?

…SAYING – WORDS matter…

…DOING – ACTIONS matter…

…SHARING – RELATIONSHIPS matter…

Captains and other leaders might ask: “H0w is this behavior MODELING, REINFORCING, or PROTECTING our culture? Is there a different way to say it/do it that would be more helpful?”

Jeff Raker

Level Up Leadership Coaching

If I could choose to live in another time of history, I would gravitate toward the late 18th Century, during the Revolutionary Period. Then I think, there are things I wouldn’t enjoy so much, so I’ll be content with reading.

General Nicholas Herkimer was a great example of leadership by example, inspiring his men with the thought “If he can do it, then I can do it.”

Herkimer was shot in the leg at the battle of Oriskany (a wound which would lead to a botched amputation and the end of his life) but insisted on being propped up against a tree rather than retire. There he calmly smoked his pipe, gave direction to his troops and the story specifically says “shouted words of encouragement” to them.

Leaders inspire their teams by their own actions. And actions do speak louder than words.

Inspiring leadership grows from your own self-awareness – aware of what your actions are communicating to your people. From body language to your presence during difficult times, you can inspire or cause your team’s morale to plummet.

The #1 key need with athletes is self-talk. Frankly, it’s the #1 issue for all human beings, in business or sports. Let’s talk the sports world.

Self-talk influences commitment and discipline. It influences practice as well as competition. Because we hear everything we say – and because we know that the body follows the mind – if self-talk distracts an athlete in a negative, poor, bad direction, they will never achieve their peak performance.

When I’m working with a team or individual athlete, I ask them to write down the things they say to themselves. In a group I’ll throw out possible negative self-talk and ask for a show of hands. I’ll get an 80% response to: “How many of you say, ‘I suck!’ after a bad race, game, or play?”

Self-talk is a result of not just what we think about ourselves but also what we fear.

“When I fail it means _________ about me?”

It’s a process to untangle negative self-talk. It takes more than just giving an athlete some key positive phrases to begin saying everyday, although that’s an important piece in the puzzle.

As a coach, make sure your talk is where you want it to be for your athletes.

Counter that negative talk anytime you hear it. And even if you don’t hear it, know that it exists, so hit it head on. Admit it. Bring it out from the shadows into the light where it begins to lose power.

Changing self-talk changes the trajectory of our lives.

Recent AHA moment: “You described exactly what happens in my brain. Finally, someone understands! Now what do I do?” – D1 athlete to me after a training

The Ethiopian runner wasn’t even supposed to be on his country’s Olympic squad, but was added at the last moment when a teammate became ill.

Abebe Bikila arrived in Italy for the 1960 Rome Games with only one pair of running shoes. By the time it came for him to take part in the marathon, these were too worn out. Unable to find a pair which fit comfortably, he decided to run the race barefoot.

Bikila was treated with derision as he began the race, with The Guardian reporting that one commentator asked, “Who is this Ethiopian?”

But shoeless, unknown Bikila won gold, along the way smashing the Olympic record with a time of 2:15:16.

I call this “Personal Accountability.” I am accountable for me and my response to the events that happen in my life.

A leader stops leading when they offer excuses for what is, what could have been or what they might do. No! Excuses are the pathway to lost vision and lost passion. People don’t follow excuses. They follow leadership.

Abebe Bikila could have raised all sorts of excuses to not run that marathon. No one would have blamed him. Instead he took a less than positive circumstance and decided to live into it.

What is pushing on you right now? How are you giving in? How are you pushing through?

Don’t go the way of blame. Take what you face and do something great.

By the way, just to prove it wasn’t a fluke, Bikila returned in 1964 and won again, this time with shoes!

Jeff Raker

Level Up Leadership Coaching

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In business, when something “flops” it usually means a failure. A rollout didn’t pan out. A presentation was sterile. But a “flop” in 1968 changed the world. The Fosbury Flop that is.

Dick Fosbury transformed the high jump, doing it in a way no one else had ever done. Purists said he was ruining the sport. There were calls for him to be banned. But within a relative few years, everyone at the top of the sport was flopping.

A flop is innovative, out of the box thinking. Flopping requires a step outside your personal comfort zone. It means risk. Dick Fosbury wasn’t trying to innovate anything. He said he was just personally trying to figure out how to get over the bar. He thought of a different way to do it that worked for him. Others followed.

“So when a good idea comes, you know, part of my job is to move it around, just see what different people think, get people talking about it, argue with people about it, get ideas moving among that group of 100 people, get different people together to explore different aspects of it quietly, and, you know – just explore things.” – Steve Jobs

This is a great insight into flopping that transforms.

There’s another piece to the Fosbury Flop story, though. Prior to the 1960’s the “landing pad” for high jumpers was the ground covered with low mats, then straw and sawdust. Not soft. High jumpers were supposed to land on their feet. But in the 1950’s the plush cushioned mat was introduced. A new environment created new possibilities. Are you ready?

How can you “flop” and be an innovator?

Be ok with being a beginning. In other words, it’s ok to not get something right the first time. If you have trouble being ok with failure, do some personal work. Ask and answer: “What’s that about in me?” I guarantee you, your hesitancy or fear of ALL about YOU.

Level Up Coaching can help you ask the right questions to break through to your next level.

To subscribe, click here.

Jeff Raker, Owner, Level Up Leadership Coaching

In business, when something “flops” it usually means a failure. A rollout didn’t pan out. A presentation was sterile. But a “flop” in 1968 changed the world. The Fosbury Flop that is.

Dick Fosbury transformed the high jump, doing it a way no one had ever done before. Purists said he was ruining the sport. There were calls for him to be banned. But within a relative few years, everyone at the top of the sport was flopping.

A flop is innovative, out of the box thinking. Flopping requires a step outside your personal comfort zone. It means risk. Dick Fosbury wasn’t trying to innovate anything, he was just personally trying to figure out how to get over the bar. He thought of a different way to do it that worked for him. Others followed.

“So when a good idea comes, you know, part of my job is to move it around, just see what different people think, get people talking about it, arguing with people about it, get ideas moving among that group of 100 people, get different people together to explore different aspects of it quietly, and, you know – just explore things.” – Steve Jobs

This is a great insight into flopping that transforms.

There’s another piece to the Fosbury story, though. Prior to the 1960’s the “landing pad” for high jumpers was the ground covered with low mats, then straw and sawdust. Not soft. High jumpers were supposed to land on their feet. But in the 1960’s the plush cushioned mat was introduced. A new environment created new possibilities.

How can you “flop” and be an innovator?

Be ok with being a beginning. In other words, it’s ok to not get something right the first time. If you have trouble being ok with failure, do some personal work answering: “What’s that about in me?” I guarantee you, your hesitancy or fear is ALL about YOU!

To Subscribe, click here.

Jeffery A. Raker

Level Up Leadership Coaching

1 dead. 25 inured. Houses destroyed. Where? In Boston, MA. What? A gas line explosion.

Words always matter. They matter even more in a crisis. Leaders get in front of as many people as possible, as soon as possible, and pay attention to their words.

The President of Columbia gas, Steve Bryant, the owner of the gas line said this:

“We are sorry and deeply concerned about the inconvenience,” he said. “This is the sort of thing that a gas distribution company hopes never happens.”

Words are extremely important.

I’ve said inappropriate or insensitive words before. My guess is you have to. What do you to then? What does Mr. Bryant do now?

Get in front of as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, and apologize for an insensitive word or phrase. Own the issue, this is what leaders do. Deflection, blame, excuses – these are not the words of a leader.

Every time a leader doesn’t own their words, they are most likely protecting themselves: making it about them. It’s not about you. It’s not about your ego or reputation or what you think people might think about you. It is about your words and your company or team. Everyone else already knows it was insensitive or inappropriate. Admit it. Own it.

Say, “I’m sorry.” Mean it and it will make all the difference in the world.

Recent recommendation for Level Up Coaching:

“I have attended several off-sites both in and out of the military and I really appreciated your approach. You provided ground rules and got into the meat of what we needed to accomplish without lecturing or providing lengthy slides and buzz words.” – Tim (a non-profit Board retreat)

To Subscribe to “Level Up Leadership Tips” sign up here.

Jeff Raker

I am a fan of the compass more than the calendar. I have a compass and a saying on my desk: “The compass matters more than the calendar. The direction you’re heading matters more than the speed with which you are getting there.”

Admittedly, I have a plan and when it doesn’t come together as quickly as I’d like to, the calendar is frustrating, perhaps disappointing. But I still love the compass more because it’s more important.

Compass questions matter more because they are about direction. If I hastily get somewhere but it’s not the right place, it’s not helpful. Another way to think about it is through the question: “Am I building an oak tree or a flower? One takes 3 months and is gone. The other takes 60 years and lasts.”

Companies and teams that lose sight of the compass heading in the midst of busyness and deadlines, will end up ineffective and unhelpful. The same goes for individuals. Each of us has our own True North, a direction that guides us, leading forward.

Here are two compass questions to consider:

(1) Am I making progress? Speed or lack thereof can be deceptive. Gauge direction. I recommend comparing month to month or quarter to quarter rather than daily or weekly.

One company might say that their compass is customer service while another says it is “to make money.” Choose your compass. Then decide what steps are defined as progress.

What does positive momentum look like? What will it take to get to the next level?

(2) What forces are ahead of me that may impact my course direction?

When an archer lets go of an arrow, it’s with the knowledge of what lies between the archer and the target: wind, elevation, distance all play a part.

What forces will push on your arrow as you launch it toward your target? Economic? Personnel? Politics? You can’t anticipate everything, nor can you avoid everything. You can however look ahead and make some adjustments.

By the way, there’s no way an individual or a company can ask all the right questions on their own. Closeness to the present circumstances distorts eyesight and understanding. Call in a Coach or Consultant.

In 1914, the great inventor Thomas Edison experienced a devastating hardship. His entire laboratory burned to the ground, and several years worth of work was ruined.

Newpapers described the situation as “the worst thing to happen to Edison.”

Edison didn’t see it that way at all. The inventor instead chose to see his circumstances as an invigorating opportunity to rebuild and re-examine much of his current work. In fact, Edison reportedly said shortly after the fire: “Thank goodness all our mistakes were burned up. No we can start again fresh.” And that’s exactly what he and his team did. (from 5 Lies We Learned When We Were Younger [That We Still Live By Today])

How you handle setbacks and failures may be the greatest determining factor in the level of your success. You control your response to the circumstances of your life. Fear of failure will keep you from learning from your mistakes. This is truly a failure.

If you never try, you have already failed.

If you fail to learn, you have failed.

If you quit, you have failed.

Learn from your setbacks and failures. Take time to debrief yourself. Get with a mentor or coach. These times create the best soil for new opportunities.