Best to you,
Kelly

I love your focus on behaviors to generate results.  You make a really important point about subjectivity for athletes, in sales, in leadership and pretty much in any relationship we have.  We can’t always control the outcomes.  What we can control are our behaviors.  As we practice and focus on winning behaviors everything else will fall into place.

Everyone needs support while working towards their end goal.  Just like you pointed out where would Mary Lou and Nadia be without Bela Karolyi?  He certainly was a key ingredient to their success.  And Mark Buehrle would not have achieved the perfect game without his team members supporting and the most unbelievable catch by Dewayne Wise.  We don’t operate in a vacuum.

I completely agree with you that it is critical for us to analyze our behaviors to discover what works and what doesn’t and adjust our “game” from there.  We will get there, and we won’t be alone.

Thanks for contributing to the discussion!
Kelly

Marty focuses on business values and ethics lessons from the U.S. Marine Corps.  Check him out at: http://semperfibusiness.wordpress.com/ and follow him on Twitter http://twitter.com/SemperFiValues

I like your examples of perfection. I think that perfect performances have several elements. Most “perfect” performances are the results of behaviors — practice makes perfect — and collaboration.
 
Rarely does a peak performer attain that level of competence without hard work in their crafts; behaviors. Really, the behaviors are all we can control. We have no control over the outcomes. While Greg Louganis, Mary Lou Retton and Nadia Comaneci turned in “perfect” performances, when they were finished, they were dependent on subjective scores from judges. The same goes in many business situations, especially in a sales environment. All we can do is control our behaviors and let the averages work on the outcomes.
 
Days before Mark Buehrle’s perfect game, Jonathan Sanchez came inches from one in San Francisco. Two plays stand out from that game. In the 8th inning, an easy ground ball bounced off of the third baseman’s glove for an error.  This meant that the best outcome possible was a no-hitter. A few minutes later, the center fielder made an amazing play to save the no-hitter. Sanchez pitched a brilliant game. Afterward, he was thankful to his team for helping to carry him.
 
Where would Mary Lou and Nadia have been without Bela Karolyi, their coach?  Where would Mark have been without the support of his team?
 
You’re right. We can not wait for perfection. We can adjust our behaviors to achieve excellence. Then, at some point, we’ll get there with a little help from our friends.
 
Marty

I love using the example of a child learning to walk.  You are so right, we celebrate every step and provide that encouragement until they master the art of walking.  Then we shift our focus and celebrate other milestones.  We must adopt this same principle in the workplace.  As you pointed out people will raise the bar themselves and transcend challenges.

Thank you for sharing and contributing to the discussion.

Cheers!
Kelly

Susan is inspires everyday leadership through everyday actions. Check out her blog at: http://randomactsofleadership.com/