Excellence is a standard many people aspire to but can’t achieve.
It’s not because they lack the will or skill to accomplish great things. It’s more about what discipline and learning it takes to reach the highest standard and sustain it.
The foundation for the highest competence in any role or skill is aptitude, knowledge, experience, and the drive to learn.
But those are just table stakes.
To attain a competence and quality that is extraordinary, a professional must constantly seek feedback, absorb what is actionable, and then incorporate it into their daily execution.
That takes high confidence and low ego, as the feedback to get better usually stings somewhat.
Learning how prospective candidates learn can serve as a lens into their potential greatness. Those who aspire to excel typically want to get better at everything they do.
So, for example, if they cook as a hobby, asking them how they plan to get better at cooking will reveal a lot about who they are as self-improvers and learners.
Because excellence is so rare, most people don’t look for it when they select others to do a task, fill a role, or join a team. After looking at a rash of prospective candidates for a job, it is too easy to accept just above average with the hope for the best.
In too many cases, candidates who might be excellent are overlooked because they say the wrong thing or don’t fit the stereotype a leader is looking for. If sports analytics has taught leaders anything, it is that greatness comes in some surprising packages.
Leaders selecting talent don’t always have access to a full array of data analytics. Instead, they normally rely on a few psychometrics, interview questions, and an example or two of the work the candidate has completed in the past.
Better leaders go a step further and ask candidates to demonstrate their skills in some way, either through a skills test or by performing one skill in front of the team.
Those who are highly talented and reach for excellence love to showcase their skills. Those who are just above average or less despise this demonstration. That, in itself, is highly revealing.
But pound-for-pound, nothing displays excellence better than how it is embodied. An excellent cleaning person is 10 times cleaner than you, or they haven’t yet achieved extraordinary. A great executive assistant is 10 times more organized than you. An excellent coach is 10 times more insightful than you are. A remarkable technologist has 10 times the understanding that you do. Although the number 10 is contrived, you get the gist.
Good leaders look for how excellence is embodied in the people they want to do a task or fill a position on the team. They apply a standard of excellence to the evaluation. They try hard not to accept anyone who isn’t on their way to excellence for any role or position.
Surround yourself with excellent people, and pretty soon, learning and feedback spread like wildfire. That’s one way exceptional teams become great.
