Katie Ledecky, Michael Phelps , Simone Biles and the entire U.S. Women's Gymnastics team - these are Olympic champions who dominate their sport. They - like other legendary performers before them - amaze us with their results.
It is easy to get sucked into the hype and bravado that accompanies phrases like "blow the competition away." Those words imply that these champions stand head and shoulders above everyone else.
There are, to be sure, examples of truly brilliant performance. Five seconds doesn't feel like a lot of time, but it is an eternity at the elite levels of competition. That is, however, where Ledecky found herself - almost five seconds better than the second place swimmer - in the 400-meter freestyle event at the 2016 Olympic Games.
These dominating performances redefine what it takes to win, and then the competition catches up.
Breaking the 4-minute mark in the mile run was a major milestone when Roger Bannister did it in a 1954 competition. The barrier was broken a few months later by two other runners. Today, the record has been lowered by almost 17 seconds.
It's the same in your business or profession. There are dominating performances that redefine greatness. The competition uses this as a catalyst to raise the standard for everyone. Apple may have brought the smartphone into the mainstream, but Samsung and others quickly rose to the occasion.
The Advantage You May Not Have
The individuals and companies who dominate have one factor in their favor that you may not be able to duplicate - a superior position that comes from talent, genetics, or an early jump on the competition.
Michael Phelps is a physical anomaly. He is 6 feet 4 inches tall, but he has a wing-span of 6 feet 7 inches. His size 14 feet may only provide a small advantage at the elite levels of competition, but they are like wearing a set of scuba fins compared to the rest of the world. Phelps' lungs are twice as big as the average human.
In business, a superior position can take many forms: being first to market, the ability to buy market position with deep financial pockets, ground breaking technology innovation, etc.
A Superior Starting Point Isn't Enough
- Go all in to reach your goal. Simone Biles started serious gymnastics training at the age of seven. While she was very good, her performance flourished when she opted to pursue home schooling at the age of 13. The decision to go all in allowed Biles to go from 20 hours to 32 hours per week of training time.
- Invest in getting better. Elite athletes didn't just begin their journey early in life. They took the journey with a coach to guide and challenge them. It is a commitment that pays off. Jason Day is currently ranked as the number one professional golfer in the world. The constant in his life is Col Swatton, his coach and mentor since Day was 12 ½ years old.
- Stay focused on improving the details every day. For Michael Phelps, practice isn't a mindless routine. According to Phelps' coach, every practice session was an opportunity to perfect and replicate the details of his technique so that he had every opportunity to succeed.
- Leverage the value of teamwork. The U.S. men's basketball team that competed in the 2004 Olympics underachieved and won the Bronze medal despite having the best individual talent. No one succeeds in total isolation - not even if you are in a solo event or job.
Self-Confidence and Arrogance
The elite performers in every field of endeavor have a high degree of self-confidence. In fact, the higher the stakes the greater their confidence.
Unfortunately, the thin line between extreme confidence and arrogance can be difficult to navigate.
Michael Phelps' responded to his win in the 200-meter butterfly event by motioning for the crowd to give him more applause. The Twittersphere voiced their displeasure. He took a more humble tone after winning gold in his last race, the 4X100 medley relay, and the world adored him.
Ultimately, arrogance only works if you always win or if you never need to rely on others to help you. You respect Michael Phelps' accomplishments even if you don't always like his behavior. However, Hope Solo's arrogance following the U.S. defeat by the Swedish women's soccer team was embarrassing.
Can You Do It More Than Once?
Your reputation for "blowing the competition away" is based on repeated success not a single performance. Many of those wins will invariably be by small margins. Michael Phelps won the gold medal in the 200-meter butterfly by four one-hundredths of a second. He lost the 100-meter butterfly event by 1.25 seconds.
The question is will you have the discipline and commitment to meet the challenge of continual greatness that blows the competition away?
Randy Pennington is an award-winning author, speaker, and leading authority on helping organizations achieve positive results in a world of accelerating change. To bring Randy to your organization or event, visit www.penningtongroup.com , email info@penningtongroup.com, or call 972.980.9857.