Why High Performers Always Stand Out-Here's How You Can Too??????

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act but a habit (Aristotle).

Imagine Teams full of High Performers. How far could your organization go?????????????

?High-performing employees consistently exceed expectations, drive results and inspire those around them. But what sets them apart goes beyond skills or experience, It’s about their approach to challenges, adaptability and relentless pursuit of growth. Their ability to deliver exceptional results, take ownership and innovate sets them apart from the rest.

Working in compliance is never a one-size-fits-all approach. Over the years, I’ve found that every situation demands unique approach and success in compliance comes down to more than just knowing the regulations. It’s about being proactive, seeing around corners, effective collaboration, constantly learning and adapting to changes while keeping integrity at the heart of everything.

Every day brings new challenges, but that’s exactly what drives me—ensuring that my organization stays one step ahead, always prepared and always compliant.

Understanding what fuels high performance is key to fostering a culture of excellence within the organization and standing out requires more than just meeting expectations, it’s about exceeding them.

In this article, I compiled 1??0?? key traits of high performing professionals as we all strive to remain/be high performers and below each trait,2 scenarios of exhibiting such qualities as a high performing Compliance Manager.

1?? Proactive Problem Solving

2?? Ownership Mentality

3?? Constant Learning and Adaptability

4?? Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

5?? Results-Driven Mindset

6??Collaboration and Leadership

7?? Resilience

8?? Effective Communication

9?? Time Management

1??0??Vision Oriented

Proactive Problem Solving

High performers don’t wait for problems to come to them—they anticipate issues and address them head-on before they escalate with creative and actionable strategies. They’re always thinking ahead and looking for ways to improve processes, solve challenges and add value.

S.1: A high-performing Compliance Manager anticipates potential risks during the launch of a new financial product. Before any regulatory issues arise, they collaborate with legal and product teams to build robust controls internally to mitigate such risks that ensure compliance with both local and international regulations.

S.2: She detects patterns of unusual transactions/activities that haven’t yet triggered automated alerts. Instead of waiting for system flags, they investigate manually, report suspicious activity where necessary and refine internal monitoring processes to capture similar risks in the future.

Ownership Mentality

High-performing employees take full ownership of their projects. They don’t need to be micromanaged and they take personal responsibility for both successes and failures. They take ownership of their work, meet deadlines and consistently deliver high-quality results while holding themselves to high standards always. When something goes wrong, they don’t make excuses, they find solutions.

S.1: When the institution receives a regulatory fine due to a reporting error/delay, the high performing Compliance Manager takes responsibility, analyzing the root cause and implementing a process review to prevent a recurrence.

S.2: During the routine AML/CFT/CPF review, she discovers gaps in the screening process, takes full ownership of the issue, compiling a detailed report on the gaps identified, possible risks, suggesting remedial actions and following up to resolution to ensure the effectiveness of the AML/CFT/CPF measures around screening to avoid risk of regulatory fines/sanctions.

Constant Learning and Adaptability

High performers are always looking to improve themselves. They are committed to continuous learning, keep up with industry trends, actively seek out new skills and adapt to changing circumstances. This growth mindset keeps them at the top of their game. They also quickly adjust to changes, embrace new technologies etc.

S.1: The Compliance Manager stays ahead of emerging regulatory changes by participating in industry workshops and earning certifications in areas like cryptocurrency regulations, ensuring the institution can adapt to evolving compliance requirements. When a new government regulation is introduced with tight deadlines, she quickly revises the institution’s existing policies, ensuring that all procedures are updated and communicated across teams to meet the deadline.

S.2: She adapts to a shift toward digitization by championing new compliance software tools that streamline reporting, cutting down manual processes and reducing errors in regulatory submissions.

Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

High performers excel in managing their own emotions and understanding the emotions of others. Their high emotional intelligence helps them navigate difficult conversations, build strong relationships, and create a positive work environment. They are able to influence and inspire without formal authority.

?S.1: The Compliance Manager demonstrates empathy when coaching a team member who made an error during an audit. They focus on support and training rather than blame, fostering a positive team culture of continuous improvement.

S.2: During a tense meeting with regulators, she remains calm and composed, understanding the perspectives of both the institution and the regulator, ensuring that the discussion leads to a productive resolution.

Results-Driven Mindset

High performers focus relentlessly on outcomes. They set ambitious goals, consistently deliver high-quality results and find ways to exceed expectations. Their dedication to achieving tangible, measurable success drives both individual and team performance.

S.1: She is tasked with improving the turnaround time in the risk assessment of customers which has been slowing down new client onboarding. They set a personal goal to reduce the average processing time by 40%. Through strategic analysis, automation tools and process optimization, they exceed their target, cutting the processing time in half and significantly improving the client onboarding experience.

S.2: She aims to achieve a 100% pass rate for all internal audits/examination within their department. By conducting pre-audit/examination assessments, offering targeted training and holding mock audit/ examination, she ensures that the team is fully prepared. As a result, their department passes all audits/examination with no major findings, exceeding expectations and securing praise from senior management.

Collaboration and Leadership

High performers understand that success is often a team effort. They are excellent collaborators and even when they are not in a formal leadership role, they naturally lead by example. Their influence extends beyond their immediate responsibilities, positively impacting the overall team dynamic.

S.1: The Compliance Manager partners with the IT and finance teams to implement anti-money laundering (AML) software, ensuring the solution aligns with both regulatory requirements and operational workflows and in another instance work closely with HR to develop a training program that educates employees about new sanctions laws, regulations etc. ensuring that every department is aligned and compliant.

S.2: While working on a new AML/CFT/CPF procedure, she acknowledges that it will impact multiple departments including legal, operations etc. Rather than working in isolation, they set up cross-departmental meetings to gather input, ensuring that the new process is both effective and feasible for all teams. This collaborative approach leads to a more comprehensive and well-received policy.

?Resilience

This is the ability to recover from setbacks, adapt to change and keep moving forward despite challenges. High-performing professionals often encounter difficulties, whether in the form of project failures, missed targets, or changing business environments. Resilience helps them remain focused, motivated and productive, even when circumstances are less than ideal. They maintain a positive outlook and bounce back stronger, learning from failures to achieve better outcomes.

High performers stay calm and composed under pressure. They don’t panic or overreact when faced with problems, which allows them to think clearly and find solutions quickly. They don’t allow temporary setbacks to derail their progress. Whether they face personal or professional challenges, they remain committed to their long-term goals.

S.1: After a regulatory audit identifies several deficiencies, the Compliance Manager doesn't lose morale. Instead, they lead a remediation project, collaborating with various departments to rectify the issues and ensure a clean follow-up audit.

S.2: When faced with a compliance breach investigation, she manages the crisis calmly, maintaining transparency with regulatory bodies while working to restore the institution’s reputation and prevent future occurrences.

Effective Communication

This is the ability to express ideas clearly, listen actively and engage with others in a meaningful way. For high-performing professionals, strong communication skills are essential to building relationships, collaborating with teams and influencing stakeholders. Whether they’re presenting ideas to leadership, collaborating with colleagues or guiding teams, effective communication ensures that their message is understood and acted upon. High performers distill complex ideas into simple, understandable language, avoiding jargon that could confuse others.

S.1: A high-performing Compliance Manager communicates effectively with regulators, maintaining transparency during investigations or inquiries. This not only strengthens the institution’s relationship with regulatory bodies but also ensures that all parties understand the institution's compliance efforts and improvements.

S.2: A Compliance Manager needs to distill complex legal or regulatory requirements into understandable terms especially for non-compliance staff. She ensures that front-line employees are trained in AML/CFT/CPF procedures, sanctions compliance, Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements etc. using practical examples and clear language to illustrate their points. During a compliance training session, she communicates clear, practical guidelines to front-line staff on how to identify and report suspicious activities, ensuring everyone understands their role in risk management.

Time Management

This is the skill of organizing and planning how to divide time between specific activities, ensuring that tasks are completed efficiently and without unnecessary stress. High-performing professionals are often juggling multiple projects, deadlines and responsibilities, so mastering time management is crucial to maintaining productivity and avoiding burnout.

They prioritize their tasks effectively, balancing urgency with importance, ensuring maximum productivity without burnout and focus on tasks that have the greatest impact, tackling high-priority or high-risk items first while managing less critical tasks effectively.

S.1: The high performing Compliance Manager prioritizes the highest-risk reports while delegating less critical tasks to their team, ensuring all deadlines are met without compromising on quality.

S.2: She efficiently manages compliance reviews of several high-risk transactions during peak business periods, ensuring that critical issues are addressed promptly without sacrificing thoroughness.

Vision-Oriented Thinking

This is the ability to focus on long-term goals while aligning daily actions with a broader strategy. High-performing professionals always keep the "big picture" in mind, ensuring that their short-term decisions support their long-term objectives. This mindset is key to driving innovation, strategic growth and continuous improvement. They anticipate future trends, risks and opportunities and prepare for them in advance. Instead of being reactive, they take proactive steps to ensure success.

S.1: The Compliance Manager spearheads the development of a three-year compliance strategy for the organization, incorporating regulatory trends and emerging risks like cybercrime, to ensure the company is future proofed against major compliance challenges.

S.2: She leads efforts to position the institution as a compliance leader in the industry by building a culture of ethical conduct, ensuring that compliance is not just about avoiding penalties but driving business integrity.

In summary, high-performing professionals set themselves apart through a combination of skills, mindset and behaviors. They are problem solvers, take ownership of their work, constantly seek growth and demonstrate emotional intelligence. Their dedication to achieving results while fostering collaboration makes them invaluable assets to any organization.

Are you striving to be a high performing professional or sustain same, try/sustain the above and that is guaranteed??????

You are a high performing professional? Kindly share scenarios in your own space/role and other key qualities of high performing professionals in the comment section below??.

#HighPerformanceCulture #ProfessionalExcellence #ComplianceExcellence #ComplianceLeadership