Episode 74: Leading Your Team to Peak Performance

On this podcast Karen Gately talks with Graham Winter about the performance versus well-being myth.  Graham is the founder of the consultancy Think One Team and a three time Australian Olympic team chief psychologist. He is the best-selling author of ‘Think One team’, and together with Martin Bean, he's the co-author of the new book ‘Toolkit for Turbulence: The Mindsets and Methods that Leaders Need to Turn Adversity to Advantage’. This episode conversation is about debunking the myth that high performance and long hours are synonymous with success. 

Key Points

• The common narrative that high performance and long hours are synonymous with success is false. There's a limit to productivity and creativity beyond which they decline. 

• True high performance is about achieving sustainable results through a balance of Achievement, Development, Enjoyment/Energy, and Partnerships/strong relationships. This is called the A-DEP model. 

• A-DEP stands for: 
  Achieve - Achieving meaningful outcomes 
  Develop - Developing and growing 
  Enjoy - Enjoying what you're doing 
  Partner - Having strong, collaborative relationships 

• Leaders should be aware of these elements and reflect on where they stand in each area. Chasing achievement at the expense of others can create a culture of overwork and may lead to burnout. 

• Awareness of your personal limits and tendencies is crucial. Perfectionism and people-pleasing can be strengths but also lead to overwork and stress if not managed. 

• High performers need discipline, but often that discipline involves not doing things and taking breaks to recharge. 

• Treat yourself like a high performer and find what works best for you in terms of rhythm and environment. 

• Prioritization is key. Working in focused sprints with clear goals and built-in breaks is more effective than getting bogged down in to-do lists and constantly pushing through exhaustion. 

• Sleep is a critical factor in performance and working relationships. Aim for a consistent sleep pattern and a ‘sleep budget’ to ensure you're getting enough rest. Journaling can be helpful as well. Writing down your thoughts and worries before bed can help clear your mind and improve sleep quality. 

• Exercise and mindfulness practices can also significantly improve cognitive function, well-being and performance.  

Key Quotes 

"We've definitely entered that phase now in the workplace - thinking about it from a work point of view – (which) we know…from the research, that there's a certain limit and our level of productivity…goes, not only that drops away, but our creativity drops away as well." - Graham Winter 

"When you are experiencing sustainable high performance, there will be four things in play. You will be achieving meaningful outcomes. You'll be doing something you feel successful at, so ‘stuff’ is happening. You'll be developing and growing. You'll be enjoying what you're doing and there will be energy coming in rather than just energy going out and you'll have key relationships around you that are partnering, collegiate relationships." - Graham Winter 

"Treat yourself as a high performer. You're a unique person, so don't try and copy what somebody else does." - Graham Winter 

"It's working in sprints rather than in a marathon." - Karen Gately 

 

Overall, the episode argues that well-being is not the enemy of performance, but rather a key ingredient for achieving sustainable success. It is a myth that high performance and long hours are synonymous with success. This episode emphasizes the importance of finding a work rhythm that allows you to be productive and avoid ‘burnout’, or in other words, the concept of sustainable high performance. 

Karen and Graham explore: 

• Developing a One Team Culture  

• Sustaining Personal and Team High Performance   

• Leading confidently through rapid complex change

Listen to the full podcast here.

Connect with Graham Winter Now!