Spot the gold-medal members of your organization

Adapted from CFO & Controller Alert.

There were plenty of examples of excellence during the Olympic games in London this summer.

Which has to make you wonder: Are certain people simply wired for that level of extraordinary achievement?

Turns out they just might be – and perhaps some of your own staff have similar potential.

A recent study of all 114 British Olympic gold medalists in history uncovered these four common traits:

  • intelligent
  • driven
  • single-minded, and
  • admittedly even bit a selfish.

Sound like a few top-performing members of your team fit that profile? Not so fast – there’s one other trait that just may be most important of all.

Don’t overlook humility

In analyzing interviews and footage of these champions, one other characteristic rose to the top: Above all, the gold medalists were humble.

There was a lack of arrogance across the board that even surprised researchers considering how much these people achieved.

That’s insight worth applying to your own team.

In business, we often accept the super-egos that come with the star performers. But look a little deeper at your more quiet leaders – those may be your true gold-medal winners who can take your department to new heights.

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