Drive Excellence - Influence: How to Become the Person Others Want to Follow

We’ve all heard this quote. It's been around for thousands of years. And it still applies. But what exactly is excellence? Why is driving excellence important to leadership? And how do we do it?! 

What is excellence?
Excellence is a habit. It is an attitude. It is a lifestyle.

What we repeatedly do and what others consistently witness in our lives is who we are. Excellence boils down to character.

Excellence also involves achieving and performing at a level that no one has ever done.

Why is driving excellence important?
When you drive excellence, you will make the unachievable possible. Eyes will be opened. Attitudes and perspectives will change. People will start to think in a way they never have. Others see excellence and desire it.

Driving excellence is contagious. Your team will transform and your efforts will be multiplied. They will start thinking in new ways. They will form new habits. They will desire a different life. And they will believe it is possible. What once seemed unattainable to them, they now see as attainable. Because it is.

The Four-Minute 1.6 kilometers
Sir Roger Bannister did what no one thought could ever be achieved. For over two thousand years, experts declared, and stated as fact, that it was physically impossible for the human body to run a mile (1.6km) in 4 minutes or less. They had all kinds of reasoning – physical limitations, friction, bone density, etc. On May 06, 1954, Roger Bannister proved them wrong.

NEVER in human history had anyone completed a 4 minute mile. His record of 3 minutes and 59.4 seconds lasted merely 46 days. A year later, 37 other runners had broken the 4-minute mark. For thousands of years, it was impossible. Within one year, dozens had done it.

What happened? He set a new standard. Roger Bannister drove excellence. And others believed in the impossible. Once he did it.

The Greatest Leader who Ever Lived
Another of my favorite stories is about a mentor of mine. He drove excellence by displaying it in everything he did. Whether he was telling a story, helping someone in need, or teaching a group, he was excellent. He perfectly displayed traits discussed earlier in this series: forgiveness, humility, service, sacrifice, passion, courage, the ability to see value, and faithfulness. He set the bar for all of these traits and no one to this day has lived them quite like he did.

In all senses of the word, he was excellent. And he was uncompromising.

Authority figures killed him because his thought process and lifestyle were so counter-cultural that they perceived them to be dangerous. But all those who followed him saw the value and purpose behind his life. Since his death more than 2.5 billion people have followed in his footsteps, growing into transformative trailblazers and developing high-caliber leaders of character along the way.

How Do We Drive Excellence? 

1. Set the tone: Like Roger, don’t wait for someone to tell you what you can or can’t do. Don’t put a ceiling on your potential. Set the bar yourself. Set it by example. Run your race and let others follow.
2. Be disciplined: Develop habits that will lead to your success. You need to commit to a lifestyle of doing things differently and thinking outside the box.
3. Think Differently: If you want to accomplish what no one else has ever done, you need to do what no one has ever done. You need to go where no one else has ever gone. You need to transform your understanding of possible. You need a paradigm shift in your beliefs and you need to set one for everyone else.
4. Outperform others: – See the four steps I highlighted in The Pursuit of Excellence. Ask great questions others don’t ask. Be persistent and uncompromising. Pay attention to detail. Lead.

Action Step
Write down one way you want to become excellent in your environment – make the most calls, make a breakthrough with your patients or students, schedule the most appointments, deliver the highest quality, make the most sales, retain the highest number of employees, attract a new client base, break into a new account, increase your team's productivity, etc.

Now brainstorm a list of ways you can and will take action to do this right now. Then ask yourself what it will take to get to the next level and write as many methods as you can. Think about what your peers are doing that you are not. Think about what your competition is doing that you are not. Think about and write down what no one has ever done. Do it.

Your Turn
How do you drive excellence? Where have you seen this displayed and replicated in your own life?

Please join us in creating a constructive growth environment for all leaders and readers by commenting below. Like and share this post with others so they can benefit as well. As always, thank you for reading and participating!

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Dan loves building relationships, teaching, and encouraging others. As a newly wed, he is greatly enjoying this period in life as family takes second in his "Five F's" (see profile). Dan has led various sales teams, served as president of multiple organizations, taught formally and informally, and coached in athletics. He has presented at leadership conferences and workshops. Dan currently works as a Director of Sales and mentors a group of high-schoolers who are looking to grow and excel.

For other posts in this series: Please visit this page.