From Michael Levy
From over decades of working with people from every level, in small to very large organisations, across every sector, we have found there are six characteristics or qualities that almost every top performer shares; and conversely, are under developed or missing in people not considered top performers.
1. Focus
All top performers have unswerving singleness of purpose. They are 100 per cent committed to their chosen pursuit. The reason for this is their unbridled enthusiasm for what they do, seeing the total picture and not getting bogged down in details. They focus on what is important, what pays off and on success essentials.
2. Integrity
Top performers understand that success comes from establishing trust with prospects and clients. This trust only comes if the person believes totally in what they do. Top performers, almost to a fault, are congruent in their words, beliefs and actions. They use their own products. They are their own best client. They walk the talk. They do and deliver what they say they will do.
3. Service
Win-win relationships. Top performers understand that for future success, it is absolutely critical that their clients are happy. To do this, they do three things:
- They study their clients. They learn their ‘language,’ they learn the problems, challenges, issues, they learn the competitors, they learn the dynamics and strive to know their clients’ business almost as well as the client.
- Top performers master asking questions to find out if and how they can help prospective clients. They understand that the client will show them what they need and how they want to buy, if they only ask the right questions.
- Top performers under-promise and over-deliver. Their goal is not a satisfied client, but an absolutely excited, happy, thrilled and overjoyed client.
4. Relationships
Top performers understand they’re not selling products, they’re creating relationships. They know in their hearts that their success is determined by the quality of these relationships. Consequently, they network, seek referrals and constantly build up their relationships. They turn clients into centres of influence who become ambassadors for their business.
5. Smart-Hard Work
Top performers understand that it takes hard work to succeed at anything. They work smart. However, they understand that in order to work smarter, they develop and follow a system, keep very detailed and accurate records and statistics on their activities and results.
6. Continuous Improvement
Top performers are never totally satisfied with their performance. They constantly look for ways to invest in themselves. They study their industry. They set goals to beat their best. They work to improve the system – not to change the system, but to improve it, to optimise it, to maximise it, to multiply it.
Look closely at these six qualities. What qualities are missing or would benefit from development? What can you improve? By recognising that life is too precious to accept only average or worse, we can take action to incorporate, believe in, trust and live by these success essentials.
Source: Randy Slechta, President of Leadership Management International, Inc
Effective Motivational Leadership
Leadership Lunch – Manchester