Why do top people fail?

If you are reading this, you are likely quite educated and labeled by others as a "High Potential." You might be beyond that and actually the top person. Congratulations. This article is designed to help you understand how to create a durable success system.

In my book What Color Is Your Sky?, I introduce the Sweat and Soul cycle for predictably creating a fulfilling future. First, you must know why you may not reach your potential. Even if you feel successful enough, you might still feel unsettled or unable to stay there.

After over twenty years of coaching key contributors and professionals worldwide, I have discovered that seven core failures contribute to disappointment. My book, other blog articles, and YouTube channel cover these failures extensively and design better success strategies.

Core Failure #1: Being and acting small

Our mind becomes our biggest enemy. Despite being born with incredible potential and gifts, we must develop survival instincts and defense mechanisms that can later hold us back. When we feel threatened, we react impulsively, make many poor micro-decisions, and unconsciously harm others or the environment without taking responsibility. We often seek mental security through domination, bragging about money, self-validation, or distracting ourselves endlessly. Many leaders become boring talking monkeys with lessons to give and criticize far more than encourage. In business, leaders fail to think critically, collaborate with others effectively, identify and learn from mistakes, or create a supportive, creative environment; instead, they may resort to old-fashioned dominance. It seems easier to stay just how you are, but it is a perilous strategy.

Core Failure #2: Me-Me-Me - A small self-limited vision

Most leaders prioritize basic needs like reptiles prioritize food, safety, and mating. Their answers are legitimate when discussing their ambitions, dreams, and ultimate wants. Still, they are politically correct, focused on short-term or materialistic rewards like 'my promotion,' a safe home,' 'my own business,' and 'I would love to make X millions a year.' However, the answers radically change when people free themselves from outside mental pressure and stop worrying about what their partner, boss, parents, church, or culture might say. This lack of a personalized vision, or a vision limited to what others expect or what is considered 'normal,' restricts the possibilities to a self-imposed norm. The blue sky magic is gone. In business, the vision, the core purpose, and the mission are confused with the 3-year financial plan. Employees are engaged the best way they can and look forward to their well-deserved vacation or retirement. Most people with this low level of awareness act alone and need help managing their time.

Core Failure #3: May God help me - Zero proactivity

In my book, I created the reverse-engineering process to coach myself and others to eliminate procrastination, focus daily, and never let go of end goals. Individuals with high potential are adept at delivering results, but many only bring their best when faced with obstacles. They typically strive for achievable outcomes rather than setting ambitious creative goals. That's the red curve. Unfortunately, there isn't a clear blueprint for daily progress, let alone achieving overall success.

In the business world, most project failures stem from starting too early with incomplete analysis. Employees and managers often focus solely on their departmental objectives and tasks, leaving it to the boss to worry about collaboration, maintaining focus, and ensuring alignment with the outcome. This lack of proactivity, or the failure to take the initiative and plan for the future, can lead to missed opportunities, much higher costs, and a lack of overall success. Operating in this mode is exhausting; worse, the top leader becomes acutely aware that growth is virtually impossible.

Core Failure #4: No show

For years, I sought approval from others for everything that I initiated. I was unconsciously needy. My low self-esteem stopped me from trusting my intuition, skills, and deep knowledge. Then, one day, I was fired by an unconsciously incompetent CEO who sincerely believed his bluff. It was a traumatic rupture, which turned out to be a blessing. He put me out of my misery; I had lost all my motivation. I understood then that I needed to show up consistently for myself, my projects, my clients, my staff, and my family. I learned that I absolutely could influence or even control my destiny. That was the beginning of my green curve. The critical question to remember is: what system can help me succeed predictably, and how can I learn to show up consistently?

Core Failure #5: Being super busy is the way

This is when the high potential expects things to happen and assumes that their work is adequate. Instead of acting as the architect of success, constantly diagnosing why we are not getting the right outcome, they rely on their expectations of other people without spending enough time deeply understanding obstacles. They micro-control, complain, blame, and go from one disappointment to another. We see countless unproductive meetings, endless email storms, and reputation-killing nasty surprises. Their job or business is at risk, but they will see it too late. The core issue is that although they understand that they must orchestrate better, they don't spend sufficient time stepping back. They also avoid tough conversations, justify poor results, overestimate what they can achieve, etc. The boat's captain has become unconsciously incompetent and needs serious coaching to become a creator of better outcomes. Team performance coaching also becomes a vital necessity.

Core Failure #6: No purpose, no spirit

I am a perfectionist and love creating systems that deliver successful outcomes in all aspects of life, including cooking! I am a success geek. My systems and coaching programs are durable and tested; they continue to function long after I am gone. I obsess over helping people succeed and sharing the gems I have discovered on my green curve journey. It is my life purpose. It helps me jump out of bed every single day. Vacations are, in fact, hard for me. When top people cannot clarify their life's purpose, a caring coach must challenge them and offer support until they find it. Unleashing your true identity and your personal brand is beyond crucial to your success. It is worth more money than you will ever make. That's an integral part of our work when we decide to work together.

Core Failure #7: No connection to a more profound meaning

We may succeed, and we may experience failure. Who cares? The Ego. The future is always unknown. All we have is ourselves, the moment we share, the love we express, the appreciation of the road ahead, and the gratitude for being fully alive, engaged, and striving. Learn to live fully and to succeed every single day. Also, learn the power and develop the skill of giving constant positive feedback,?particularly at home.

One of the objectives of my workshop, Quiet the Mind, is to connect with and unleash this profound mindful wisdom and internal force. Don't hesitate to contact me to find out how you can engage more powerfully in your life and consider applying to the workshop. I hold it once a year in France and now in Africa.

I recommend reading at least the first 100 pages of my book. Also, subscribe to my YouTube channel for short tidbits to keep you motivated and aware. In the video below, I explain how the Sweat and Soul cycle can help you avoid the seven core failures. Don't hesitate; give it a shot.

If you are ready to leapfrog into excellence, visit?HERVE.COM ?and click?the START tab. Or, to go even faster, reach out to me here on LinkedIn to set up a free Strategy Session (Zoom).