Four lessons from the world of sportsÂ
Women’s sports are booming. Here are four hard-won lessons from pioneering women athletes: from teaming up to playing to win. ...
by Michael D. Watkins Published 5 October 2021 in Brain Circuits • 2 min read
Many executives place far too much stress on themselves and their teams as a result of what psychologists call “unrelenting standards” – the constant pressure to achieve impossibly high levels of performance. For these leaders, excellence is not enough, only perfection will do. They find it difficult to find satisfaction in their accomplishments, no matter how great; they don’t express enough appreciation to their teams for what has been accomplished; and they demonstrate little understanding of normal human limitations. As a result, they can discourage and demotivate their people.
Like many dysfunctional patterns of behavior, unrelenting standards are usually the result of early childhood experiences, in this case of gaining acceptance through performance. Over time, this becomes internalized as a “voice” reminiscent of a demanding parent driving you relentlessly.
To determine if you have unrelenting standards, ask yourself where you stand on the following statements and answer on a scale of one to six with the numbers corresponding to these answers:
The statements
Add up your numbers. If your total is greater than 20 or you answered two or more questions with 5s and 6s you probably have unrelenting standards.
If you have revealed this type of tendency, it is important to identify what triggers this behavior in you and examine how frequently it occurs. The next step is to learn how to manage it in ways that will help you become a better leader.
Â
Further reading:Â
Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change at IMD
Michael D Watkins is Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change at IMD, and author of The First 90 Days, Master Your Next Move, Predictable Surprises, and 12 other books on leadership and negotiation. His book, The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking, explores how executives can learn to think strategically and lead their organizations into the future. A Thinkers 50-ranked management influencer and recognized expert in his field, his work features in HBR Guides and HBR’s 10 Must Reads on leadership, teams, strategic initiatives, and new managers. Over the past 20 years, he has used his First 90 Days® methodology to help leaders make successful transitions, both in his teaching at IMD, INSEAD, and Harvard Business School, where he gained his PhD in decision sciences, as well as through his private consultancy practice Genesis Advisers. At IMD, he directs the First 90 Days open program for leaders taking on challenging new roles and co-directs the Transition to Business Leadership (TBL) executive program for future enterprise leaders.
26 March 2024 • by Heather Cairns-Lee, Lindsay Sarah Krasnoff, Corinne Post in Brain Circuits
Women’s sports are booming. Here are four hard-won lessons from pioneering women athletes: from teaming up to playing to win. ...
21 March 2024 • by Francesca Giulia Mereu, Jennifer Jordan in Brain Circuits
How can you optimize how you use your energy? Check these five dimensions first....
18 March 2024 • by Raina Brands in Brain Circuits
Do salary histories hold women back? What about maternity breaks and part-time options? Instead of dwelling on what doesn’t work, hone in on what can. ...
14 March 2024 • by Ginka Toegel in Brain Circuits
Here are four myths and three remedies to help women achieve more at work ...
Explore first person business intelligence from top minds curated for a global executive audience