I have always been intrigued by what sets top performers and leaders aside from those who dont make it to the top. More recently, Ive become especially interested in what enables them to stay at the top when they get there. Sustainability and longevity as a leader, in particular, has never been in more jeopardy.

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However, there are many examples of people who have reached the top and stayed there for a long time. Jamie Dimon at JPMorgan

So what can be learned from those top leaders, athletes and performers in any domain who are able to deliver success time and time again, rather than succumbing to the demands of being highly visible and accountable?

Having observed top performers at very close quarters in a variety of arenas over several years, I have come to realize that they possess a form of wisdom, know-how or intelligence. It is very evident among the worlds best athletes and I have also witnessed it among the best leaders and performers in work and military settings. Since this intelligence is about delivering superior performance on a consistent basis, it seemed natural to call it 'Superior Performance Intelligence' (SPI).

I have conducted a study of SPI with top performers and leaders from the worlds of business, sports, military, performing arts and medicine which will be published in the scientific literature later this year. The study identified SPI as, "A common critical awareness and know-how that top performers, from business leaders to cardiologists to athletes to performing artists to military leaders to entrepreneurs, possess to apply their minds, skills, techniques, strategies and tactics to the same high standard every time they perform".

SPI has three core know-hows:

Being smart in all of the know-hows is crucial in sustaining success, as reinforced by a CEO Ive worked closely with. Her smartness in 'knowing how to maximize your potential' was evident in a self-knowledge and ability to self-regulate which enabled her to thrive on the visibility of being under the spotlight.

She was also hungry to develop a deep awareness of the key principles of 'knowing how to deliver top performance' on a sustainable basis. And she recognized that she could not do it on her own. 'Knowing how to work with your environment' was a high priority and she ensured that she found different ways of soliciting feedback on her peoples morale and engagement.

A gap or weakness in any of the know-hows will jeopardize longevity at the top. For example, the CEO of a company which had been acquired by a much larger organization had consistently hit the numbers and so was good at 'knowing how to deliver top performance'. And he had risen quickly through the organization, demonstrating strength in 'knowing how to maximize your potential'.

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How to Get to the Top…and Stay There