Four characteristics of a top performer

Look across business, sports, entertainment, and the military, and identify the top performers. Next, take a step back at look at the characteristics of these individuals. What you will find is that there are at least three elements that they all have.

They know how to maximize through self-knowledge. Top performers have intimate self-knowledge. They know themselves — their strengths, weaknesses, challenges, and vices. They know how to use this knowledge to stretch and apply themselves. Furthermore, they know how to sustain themselves.

They know how to work with the environment. Top performers know and understand their environment. This enables leaders to work with and within the environment effectively, shape it, and be in tune with it.

They know (and use) the ingredients for a top performance. Top performers know what makes a top performance. They know that it requires planning, preparation, delivery, and evaluation. And they execute — each time.

They understand emotion.  Top performers understand when and how to remove emotion from the equation.  On the flip side, they know when not to table their emotions.

By focusing on these characteristics, you can be a top performer and encourage your team to do the same. In the end, maximizing the performance of each individual will maximize the performance of the team and, eventually, your company.

A version of this post previously appeared on EBN.