High performers are highly driven, attacking each goal with enthusiasm and focus. They minimise energy wastage and channel their efforts into tasks that matter.
Some people seem to get it right in most instances. Are there markers that distinguish them—traits we can learn from to propel ourselves into the high-performing zone?
Researchers argue that certain qualities consistently define high-performing individuals (HPIs). Today, let us shift focus from high-performing teams to explore these outliers.
As scholars advise, let’s start with a working definition. A high-performing individual is someone with the relevant competencies and attitudes, consistently applied to achieve and surpass set goals.
High performers are not accidental successes; they overcome challenges and surpass demanding targets with precision and intent.
High-performing individuals are deeply self-aware. They actively assess their strengths, weaknesses, values, and beliefs, including biases and prejudices. This introspection allows them to align their actions with their goals and purpose.
One key marker of HPIs is their focus on impact over mere activity. It is possible to be perpetually busy yet achieve nothing significant.
For HPIs, performance is not about the hours spent on a task but the outcomes achieved. Reaction time is another critical factor in their success repertoire. The Pareto Principle often guides their focus, ensuring they prioritise activities that yield the greatest results.
High performers are highly driven, attacking each goal with enthusiasm and focus. They minimise energy wastage and channel their efforts into tasks that matter.
This capacity to become fully engrossed in their work often unsettles others, but it ensures they deliver results. For HPIs, high energy isn’t optional—it’s fundamental.
Environmental optimisation is a critical trait of HPIs. They maximise available resources and surround themselves with stakeholders who challenge existing norms and push them toward growth.
Distractions are minimised, and interruptions are actively detoxed. HPIs recognise that an optimised environment is essential for achieving and exceeding their goals.
High performers actively seek accountability, understanding that external pressure often unlocks new levels of productivity. They embrace feedback and allow others to push them toward peak performance. Accountability becomes a trusted ally in their pursuit of excellence.
For HPIs, goals are like moving targets. Tasks and challenges evolve, requiring agility and adaptability. As Charles Darwin noted, survival depends on adaptability, and HPIs embody this principle. They are fluid and dynamic, pivoting effectively to meet new demands.
Failures and roadblocks are inevitable, but HPIs approach them with resilience. Where many would quit after rejection or failure, high performers see these moments as opportunities for growth. Resilient intelligence becomes their shield, helping them persist where others falter.
High-performing individuals understand the importance of collaboration. They know that excelling on their own is limiting, so they forge strong alliances and communicate exceptionally well. In strategic thinking, building connections is essential for nailing ambitious goals.
HPIs are calculated risk-takers. They make tough decisions without procrastination, understanding that hesitation is the graveyard of dreams. Their willingness to take bold, deliberate actions makes them trailblazers in their fields.
Magoma is an award-winning HR professional, trainer and conference speaker.
