excellence on the job. It might be an exceptional waitress
who anticipates your every need. Or a manager who generates
both high performance and loyalty in his teams. It could be a
teacher with a knack for unlocking the desire to learn in each
student. Excellence, true excellence, is something we prize
but seldom see. It’s a joy to encounter someone who is truly
excellent at what they do. Why is that so rare? More
importantly, how can you become known as a man or woman who
consistently demonstrates excellence?
One comment that is heard time and again about those who demonstrate
excellence is, "He/she is a natural at it." They don’t seem to
struggle to be excellent; it just flows. That is always a sign of
motivation, and therein lies the first key: Motivation is required
for excellence.
Motivation is what we like to do naturally. It’s like being right
or left-handed. We don’t even think about it. We just write. The
same is true for people known for excellence. They have a group of
motivations that work in concert to help them perform at a higher
level. Like all motivations, these were inborn and are as much a
part of them as being blue-eyed or tall.
But there is a second key: Motivation can be developed. People who
demonstrate excellence have identified their motivations and worked
hard to develop them. They have added knowledge, skill, experience
and practice to consistently produce at the highest levels.
By the way, there is a flip side to these two keys, and it is
this: The best we can be with low motivation is adequate. No
matter how hard we work and desire it, in the long run we will
never be excellent at something without high levels of motivation
in that area. In other words, if we toil in areas where we have low
motivation, we resign ourselves to mediocrity.
Who wants to be mediocre? Who wants to be known as "adequate?"
Wouldn’t you rather have a shot at excellence? The first step to
unlocking your excellence is to know what you do well naturally.
What are your motivations?
Well...what are they?
I am blessed and I bless you.
