For years I have been emphasizing that the only thing that makes any difference to great performance is action. In conversations with my executive clients, it has become clear that I need to fine-tune my conversation.

I’m not talking about just any old action. What leaders are interested in is execution. The execution is driven by two things; intention and commitment. It looks like this:

   INTENTION—>COMMITMENT—>EXECUTION

Whatever our intention is, i.e., skills, project results, fitness, relationships, etc., our commitment to it needs to be there no matter the circumstances. And, we must be willing to fine tune our execution over time.

So what are we executing?

The answer is our skill, talent and ability. Yes, as individuals, but even more so as teams. We create an intention. Commit to it. Begin the execution.

So what has us grow? My answer is simple: coaching.

Not just any coaching, but coaching that is more committed to our execution than we are in the beginning. Coaching that never gives up on our performance. Coaching that asks us to go beyond where we think we can go.

The most important piece of this conversation is the team effort. Our success lies in our willingness to create great working relationships around us.  Our performance as one person is only as good as it contributes to a great team effort.

Even if our performance is considered to be that of a star, it is not singular. A “star” is one who makes the people around them better. Hall of Fame NBA superstar Michael Jordan won a scoring title early in his career, but it wasn’t until he acted on the suggestion from coach Phil Jackson that he needed to make everyone better would he capture the championships he so coveted. The results are well documented.
If you are a designated leader in your organization you are only as good as your team. Your attention is on them as people and the consistency of the execution of their role on the team. Great coaches have great players. Great teams win championships. The leaders job is to show them the way. The always fine-tuning way.