The Long-lasting Performance 1/5

The Problem

For all the Leaders we support today, the issue of sustainable performance has become central.

Continuous pressure, multiple constraints, disruption of work and communication methods, unstable conditions, chronic uncertainty, loss of traditional reference points, rapid changes in society and the world… These are all fundamental impacts that increasingly weigh heavily on the clarity, energy and action of any Leader.

How can we avoid being swept away by the tide?

In this 5-part series of articles, we propose to answer this crucial question that haunts Leaders as much as anyone evolving in a world that has become uncertain.

In this first part, we will start by highlighting what, for us, represents the four fundamental pillars of any sustainable performance.

We will continue to address anything that can undermine, limit or impact these four pillars.

We will then discuss the Focus solutions that can stimulate and sustain these four pillars of performance.

Finally, we will open the reflection on the principle of sustainable performance in today’s world, starting with the individual and moving on to societies and the evolution of living conditions in the current period.

The four pillars of sustainable action: broad long-term vision, deep sense of action, balanced performance, agile intelligence.

The Four Pillars of Long-lasting Performance

These are :

1-Broad long-term vision. EXTENDED PERCEIVING: the first quality for developing sustainable performance is not to spatially limit one’s thinking. Otherwise, it ends up locking us into a very local way of thinking, extremely voracious in energy. This is what gives breath to the Leader’s values. PROJECT THE FARTHEST POSSIBLE: what is valid for space is valid for time. The vision should not be limited to a specific deadline, but should go as far as possible, without time limits. It is essential to dream lucidly. DO NOT LOSE YOURSELF IN A SHORT-TERM VIEW: it is important not to get carried away by a short-term operative aspect. If this is the case, and if there is no choice, then it is essential to integrate short-term actions into the long-term view or actions with limited scope into the more global vision. The fundamental ratio: 80% LONG-TERM VISION, 20% SHORT-TERM VISION.

2- Deep sense of action. WORKING FOR THE COMMON GOOD: whether it is for the company or, more broadly, for society and the world in general, our action, to be sustainable, needs to carry a deep meaning. It is essential to identify this meaning for each major action. SOLUTIONS FOR THE FUTURE: it is just as important, especially now and in the decades to come, to feel that we are working for the future: that our action can lead to an evolution of the difficult conditions that are looming (on a small or large scale). This is the basis of the “Focused Leader” principle. CONSIDERING ONE’S ACTION AS A GROWTH FACTOR FOR THE ECOSYSTEM: it is essential to consider, for a Leader, the satisfaction factor of a well-directed vision, of a well-executed action and of the resulting fruit. When collaborators, partners, suppliers, civil society, the world, the universe… come to thank you more than congratulate you, you know that you have achieved your objectives: you have really contributed something.

3-Reasoned performance. LET THE PRESSURE IMPACT IS A LACK OF REFLECTION ON ONESELF: it is essential to know ourself and how we work in order to be free from external or personal pressure. Personal pressure always comes from a lack of self-knowledge. Not to have confidence in oneself, in one’s capacities, is a mark of ignorance towards oneself. To be completely lucid on one’s capacities involves a notable reduction of the feeling of choking due to the pressure. MAINTAINING BALANCE: it is essential to maintain balance in ALL areas of one’s life in order to achieve long-lasting performance. Too many Leaders do not pay attention to balancing their entire life by focusing all their efforts on their work. This is a mistake. Fulfillment, “the achievement”, takes into account all aspects of our existence. PRESERVE ENERGY: Personal energy management is crucial to the principle of sustainable performance. However, as a Leader, it is also necessary to ensure that employees’ energy is well managed.

4-Agile intelligence. MAINTAINING CLEAR AND WIDE THOUGHT TO FEED VISION: it is important to maintain clarity and strength on the long road to vision and results. It is essential to be vigilant when the freshness of thought and lucidity are blunted. We then no longer see clearly the path we still have to walk. MAKE EVERYTHING TO USE ON THE ROAD OF VISION: it is essential to develop agility of thought and action to be able to integrate all the changes of course necessary to really reach the destination. It is also essential to know how to integrate the temporary results of the transformation, and their variations from the original vision, to nourish the final result. LEANING ON THE QUALIFIED STRENGTHS AND MAKING THEM GROW: the leader’s sustainable performance depends largely on his ability to trust and delegate. This therefore requires a team and employees who are efficient and clear-sighted. It is essential to make them grow and to develop those who are not as qualified.