Measurements & Measuring Up To Your Excellence

Excellence. That is a word that tends to be used carelessly and callously. The word denotes an ability to 'excel', to do better, and progress.

To be excellent, you have to identify with something that you excel in. It may be a field of discipline where you demonstrate an aptitude for, or a natural ability in. It could also be an area of deep interest, study, research, and practice.

With the pursuit of excellence (pursuit seems to be a word that suggests a motivation towards), comes a need for measurement. How do you know that you making progress? How do you know that you are exceeding yourself in that field? How do you know that you are excelling? Being at the top of your game is merely a measure of results. After that, how do you stay at the top of your game? How do you maintain your position or ranking?

Annual ranking is one way, be it in sports or in employment. Ranking determines (from a panel of judges, or from relative measure as in benchmarking) your relative place in the universe. Based on the Olympic ideals of altius, fortius and citius - athletes are ranked according to their performance. They may have excelled to get into the finals of the Olympic Games, yet another measure of their actual performance is their placings on the podium, or near the three prestigious spots.

Before/After photographs are the pride and joy of clients who have reshaped their physical structures. Aesthetic improvements as well as athletic performance are dramatic shifts in one's persona, mindset and paradigms. Wanting to look their best, feel their best, perform at their best are strong motivators to continue in their pursuits. As long as their approach is sensible, reasonable and legal then excellence is never far from the grips and grasps of the eager, desiring and hungry.

In endurance, multi-sport, excellence may translate to working on one's weakness. Training to perform at a heightened state of physical and mental expression is measured through one's final timing, pacing (at regular intervals), split-times (at specific intervals), efficiencies (less wastage, delays, or hesitation), mindfulness, situational awareness, and more. Comparative measures on a monthly or annual basis, reveal data and information that can be applied to future performance, and thus, excellence. Pure timing might be reconsidered when the route/course changes, or weather becomes inclement, or when overall ranking shows progress, or when you beat certain competitors that you look to/look up to. [My results for the AHM/SBR shows a markedly slower 21km timing, yet my ranking improved. I must admit that this was my off-season, and my performance was not as strong as I was when I earned my second BQ timing in the Gold Coast Marathon in July 2013.]

Leadership Lessons: What does excellence mean to you? How do you activate your value of excellence? How do you demonstrate your sense of excellence in your profession and your pastimes? What drives you to excel?