The TEN Characteristics of a High Performer

Ten Individual Characteristics of a High Performer

Here we are going to break down the 10 characteristics of a high performer. We're referring greatly to the personal characteristics and the different habits and thought process about high-performing and high-achieving people who are already exuding and exhibiting the six actions of high performance.

They're doing this consistently, almost effortlessly. As a coach, this is where I really started to dial in these very impressive people. You really start to look at the habits and the commonalities of the people that you really aspire to be like and you want to have in your ecosystem.

You not only want to be a High-Performer, but you want to have these same people in your own high-performance world. So going through the 10 actions there, it's super important to understand how many you already have, so you can frame what work is required to obtain the others. It is work, but it's great work, it's work that has and yields immediate results across your goal setting profile, your interpersonal relationships, your ability to comprehend stress, how to actually manage chaos and changing circumstances.

And these actions and characteristics really help us to essentially turn crisis into opportunity. When you learn to do these things as you are moving forward with your aspirations, this allows you to work with burnout and fatigue and allows you to keep moving forward and progressing with your goals and pathway. It allows you to stay grateful, allows you stay in the moments, allows you to stay being high performing all the time.

Essentially there's a correlation between being high performing and happiness. Being a happy individual and really feel like you are serving your needs and the things that you're engaged in are also off service to your needs.

These ten habits represent what I consider the most consistently observed qualities when working with a diverse range of clients, including executives, lawyers, athletes, and parents. These qualities apply to those striving for personal improvement and organizational excellence alike. So, here are my top ten:

1. Clarity in Vision and Purpose: High performers possess a clear vision and purpose. They can visualize their goals, providing them with direction and focus. When you're around a high performer, you can sense their intense focus, driven by their vision and purpose. A significant part of our journey together will involve defining your vision and reverse-engineering it into long-term, medium-term, short-term, and immediate goals.
2. Decision Makers and Action Takers: High performers excel at making decisions and taking action. They don't just make decisions; they follow through, especially with tough choices. High performers avoid letting decisions languish; they are action-oriented.
3. Consistent Optimism and Positivity: High performers consistently maintain an optimistic and positive outlook. They find the silver lining in situations and quickly identify learning opportunities. You'll notice my coaching style is excessively positive. I emphasize avoiding a victim mentality and adopting a warrior's mindset, which includes always staying positive and optimistic.
4. Prioritizing Productivity: High performers prioritize the most productive tasks. Amidst their busy schedules, they identify the tasks that yield the most significant results—what I call the "big rocks." They tackle these first, knowing that dealing with smaller tasks becomes easier once the big ones are addressed.
5. Single-Tasking: High performers focus on completing one task at a time. Multitasking may seem efficient, but it often leads to mistakes. High performers are methodical, task-oriented, and rely on to-do lists and spreadsheets to maximize productivity.
6. Acknowledging Fear and Proceeding: Addressing fear is crucial. High performers confront and acknowledge their fears, whether they fear failure or success. Their vision and purpose drive them to push through and take action despite these fears.
7. Embracing Failure as a Mentor: High performers view failure as a valuable teacher. While it may be challenging, especially for those not accustomed to high performance, embracing failure leads to personal growth and improvement.
8. Embracing Consistent Discomfort: High performers embrace discomfort both physically and mentally. They understand that building a strong mind requires a strong body, which often involves enduring discomfort. They acknowledge that discomfort is part of the journey and focus on the lessons learned along the way.
9. Daily Progress in Line with Goals and Values: High performers make daily progress aligned with their goals and values. Personal progression is paramount, and they aim to improve a little each day. Skill development boosts self-confidence and contributes significantly to high performance.
10. Winning the Morning: High performers start their day early. The morning's tranquility is essential for collecting thoughts, meditating, visualizing, and setting intentions for the day. It's about seizing the opportunity to set the tone for a productive day.

These ten habits define high performance, encompassing the six actions of a high performer. Achieving high performance involves embodying these characteristics daily. You may already possess some of these attributes, while others may be new concepts to explore. Evaluating your current habits and making adjustments can help you continually strive for high performance and self-improvement.

I hope you are starting to feel the intrinsic motivation flow through you as you analyze and commend yourself on your current High-Performing characteristics, but also are now correlating what is possible with the acquisition of those characteristics you are yet to possess,

To continue your education on the subject of High Performance - please accept my offer of my complimentary eBook which you can download here or flip through below!

Yours in Performance

Rich Daly