Is Peak Performance Sustainable?

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You want to grow your business, and growth is good. From my recent conversations with CEOs, growth is the norm, and they seek ways to maintain momentum. But how long will this last?

Consider this: is it possible to sustain peak performance in your business without sacrificing your health, well-being, and sanity??

Can you consistently perform at your best while still finding joy in your work and maintaining meaningful relationships with your loved ones?

Take a moment to consider the successful executives, athletes, and artists you admire. They've achieved remarkable feats and maintained a fulfilling personal and professional life. What can we learn from their example??

How do they do it?

According to Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence and Optimal: How to Sustain Personal and Organizational Excellence, it's unrealistic to perform at your peak consistently.

Peak performance is best defined as being in a state of flow, which is a state of full immersion operating at your ultimate peak. But reaching your peak is temporary.

It's like reaching a summit. Once you've attained it, what do you do next? You can't stay on the summit for long, as living there is not sustainable. So, your only option is to come down to a level where you can live and thrive.

Optimal performance

Professional athletes know this. They need time to rest and rejuvenate, and they need downtime. Why should it be any different for you and your team?

For example, let's say you are the leader of a manufacturing plant that makes automotive components. Do you run your machinery at 100 percent capacity every day of the year? I don't think so. If you did, you would have severe breakdowns, and then nothing would flow through the plant. The result would be devastating.

Now, let's consider your employees. Can they perform at high levels 100 percent of the time? Not likely. They, too, need time to rest, rejuvenate and recharge.

From my experience, and my work with successful leaders, what I call sustainable peak performance is, in essence, optimal performance.

The benefits of being optimal

The highest human emotions are joy, gratitude, and appreciation, which garner a sense of fulfillment.?When we are joyful and filled with gratitude, everything feels easier.?

When you are in this state, you are likely operating at or near your highest level, reveling in your unique ability or zone of genius. But let's be honest: You won't always operate at your highest level.

How your day goes and how you interact with your family, friends, colleagues, and co-workers depends on your mindset and emotional state. In other words, being in a good mood positively and directly impacts your leadership.

In an optimal state, you are more creative, laser-focused, and able to create optimal solutions. You're more productive and operating at your best. You are a visionary, seeing the big picture more clearly.

Awareness of your emotional state and others' experiences of how you are being is part of self-awareness, which Goleman characterized as Emotional Intelligence.

Emotions are important when considering peak or optimal performance. If you're stressed or worried, your sympathetic nervous system is in fight-or-flight mode, directly impacting your decision-making speed and clarity, and not in a good way.

Being emotionally balanced, focused on building relationships in your business, and being a compassionate and empathetic leader will help you garner higher levels of engagement and teamwork within your company or firm.

So, how do you and your team achieve optimal performance?

A higher level of personal emotional intelligence is a good first step. Additionally, firms have an organizational emotional intelligence defined by cultural norms.

Consider the following suggestions when seeking to enhance your individual and group emotional IQ.

Be Present. Awareness is important.?It's easy to go through the daily to-do's at work and family obligations and get caught up in many tasks and deadlines.?Being truly aware requires you to focus on the present moment.

Be Mindful. Practice bringing your mind to the present moment. Give yourself some time in your daily routine to pause and reflect. This will enable you to better manage your emotions as a leader.

Be Intentional. Building trust with your employees and customers is a must. Be intentional about the relationships you build, demonstrate empathy and compassion, and keep your commitments. Have one-to-one conversations with your employees regularly. Show them that they are important, that you appreciate them, and that you care about them as human beings.

Be The Chief Culture Officer. Build a culture of belonging and norms designed to foster open and authentic communication. Take the lead in promoting empathy and compassion as part of your organization's norms that support stronger levels of trust.

Some final thoughts

When it comes to leadership, think differently and achieve more. Your improved self-awareness and emotional balance will inspire others in your firm.

Empathy and compassion will lead to greater employee involvement and engagement, enabling a deeper sense of belonging and psychological safety for everyone in your company. More openness will encourage improved communication, trust, and customer relationships.

By doing the small things with excellence, including strengthening relationships inside and outside your firm, sustainability and the ability to thrive in any crisis will follow.

My advice is this: Seek optimal performance and make it a daily habit. There is no need to chase peak performance, as it is not sustainable.

Until next time!

Want to learn more? Book a call with me here. I'd be happy to hop on a quick call to share some more of my best ideas and tips.

Leading in uncertain and complex times is challenging. What separates good leaders from great ones is the 'inner game' or mindset of leadership. CEO Sensei, former BDO managing partner, and martial arts blackbelt, John Fenton is one of the few who address this critical aspect of leading well. A passionate, experienced, and articulate 'leader of leaders', John's unique methodology brings clarity, pragmatism, and encouragement to today's managing partners, board executives, and CEOs. He is an award-winning speaker, a heart attack survivor, and the author of the bestselling book, "5 Minute Mastery?, The Surprising Secrets for Transforming Your Stress to Success and Mastering What’s Important."