Are You Playing at the Top of Your Game?

You studied, worked hard, and received formal (and informal) training as you built your career. You marched, step-by-step, up that professional ladder. You attained broader levels of responsibility and authority. Now that you’ve “risen through the ranks,” how do you ensure that you don’t become complacent (resting on your laurels)?

This is where having a strong, strategically designed support network comes into play. Think about an elite athlete. It is likely that this person has a team of folks around them helping them with different aspects of their performance, their health, the business side of their work, their mindset, and more.

Elite leaders see themselves no differently. They are voracious learners. They attend conferences and belong to associations that further their understanding of trends in their field. They seek counsel from trusted advisors whose expertise complements their own. They engage accountability partners to ensure that they remain focused on their goals.

The challenge for elite athletes and leaders is to remain open to learning. As you achieve greater and greater success, your ego may have you believe that you are the smartest person in the room. It may tell you that because you are the person with the title, because you’ve “made it,” you no longer need the wisdom of others.

While it is true that some of the individuals you have on your team will likely evolve as you do, the idea that you no longer need a core group of advisors is a dangerous one. Having people around you that you trust to tell you the truth no matter what, who are interested in your achieving success as you define it, and who are willing to hold you accountable when they see you behaving in ways that are counter to your values and the priorities you have set for yourself, is integral to your remaining at the top of your game.

Too often, I hear the refrain, “It’s lonely at the top.” I believe that some of that loneliness is self-imposed. In some cases, like those mentioned above, these leaders have let relationships fade away. In other cases, they failed to build these important relationships along the way, claiming that they were too busy with work. Now that they’ve reached these leadership roles, they find themselves surrounded by individuals who do not push back on them (perhaps out of deference, perhaps out of fear) or who are driving their own agendas. In any case, this makes it difficult for the leader to effectively navigate the situations they face.

Going back to the analogy of the elite athlete. One of the members of their team is their coach. Their coach understands the gap between where they are and where they want to go and knows how to help them navigate that expanse. Their coach helps them see aspects of their performance, their behavior, and their mindset, that may be impeding their progress. Their coach also helps them think about how and when to enlist the support of others in their network.

Inside organizations, the role of the coach has typically been left to the direct supervisor. Unfortunately, not all supervisors have the experience to be effective coaches. And, as individuals rise through the ranks, the span of control of their direct supervisors is such that they don’t have the capacity to coach, even if they have the skills.

As you look around you, do you have 4–6 people with whom you’ve shared your vision for your success? Do these individuals have complementary skillsets to one another such that they are able to give you differing viewpoints? Do they challenge your thinking? Not simply for the sake of challenging it but to ensure that it aligns with your visions and values. Are they willing to have the tough conversations with you; to hold up the mirror for you to see yourself and the choices you are making clearly?

If you aspire to continue to play at the top of your game, assembling this support network is key to that success. It’s not enough, though, to simply assemble them, you’ve got to engage them regularly so that they are able to give you thoughtful, timely feedback. Not sure where to start?

Perhaps it’s time to get yourself a coach.