The Target Goes on Your Back, Sir

If you understand performance at a high level, you’ve learned an important fundamental lesson. This lesson is that our outcomes are never fully in our control. Even Steph Curry can’t guarantee his three point shot will go in against a worthy defender no matter how hot his hand is. There are, though, a handful of elements within his control about this shooting situation.  

Peak performance is essentially mastery over that which is in your control. Our process is in our control. Our results are not. Leadership, however, is about accountability to results. For Steph Curry to maximize his performance he must master what’s in his control. However, if he is to be a leader he must be accountable for his results.

Leadership is a burden, then, by definition to be held accountable for results that are never fully in one’s control. If you sign up to be a leader, you sign up to have a target on your back. Take note.

Logan Gelbrich

@functionalcoach

PS – the trick of this conundrum is to return to what’s in the leader’s control, which will always be the process even though he/she will be judged by the results.