16 Mar Achieving a Team’s Extreme High Performance Mental State
The make or break of a high performance group setting revolves around the interest of the individuals involved. Do they actually want to be there? Are they interested in the subject being presented? If not, it’s probably a waste of time. If people are engaged in the experience, they learn more effectively.
How do teams ensure they achieve this extreme high performance mental state? Achieving this stems from the Performance Triad. First, passion; there must be a driving factor involved that motivates the team to want to be there. Second, free will; every team member must feel they have the opportunity to make a difference and to have an influence in achieving the goal at hand. Lastly, focus. Every team member must be invested in the process and should have their ‘eye on the prize’, as we like to say.
Learning from TOPGUN
From my experience, TOPGUN training is hands-down the most effective in creating individual and team performance. It is born from having to win in the most dangerous and dynamic professions of aerial combat. It has to be because we are talking life and death. Every instructor possessed an extreme high level of standardization; which makes up the foundation of their culture of excellence. The level of credibility is obvious. They don’t just talk the talk, they actually walk the walk…or in this case, they fight their jets better than anyone in the world. (Just ask any former student, they will tell you.) Those lucky enough to have been a TOPGUN student will also tell you that the instructors have an infectious aura of humble exceptionalism, esprit des corps and a level of performance that is awe-inspiring. You have no doubt that you are witnessing the best in the world.
Being surround by a group of this caliber is inspirational. It is only possible because each instructor is held to the highest standards both in the classroom and in the air.
TOPGUN’s High Performance Instructors and Speakers Make All the Difference
An impactful speaker can make you live the moment like you are actually there. Many speakers share their views and ideas, but high performance speakers back up their beliefs and advice with credible personal experiences. The stories and vignettes they share immerse the audience into their world and gives them something they can relate to. They best have a way of planting a vision in a way that inspires others to go out and achieve beyond what they thought was possible. They set the stage for a level of emotionalism that will propel individuals and groups to achieve goals larger than themselves. TOPGUN learned years ago that you will fight like you train, so you have to train like you fight. Sometimes, the hazards make training for the real thing impractical. So, you have to be able to prepare through visualization—only then will you have the edge on the competition when it happens in the real world.
Organizations looking to scale up to being exceptional or those that are exceptional who are looking to get even better can learn from TOPGUN’s legacy. Founders must establish a legacy of extreme high performance. They must focus on building extreme high performance cultures and teams so good that they have developed an aura of humble “exceptionalism.” Then, they are ready to win in combat.
Life is Like Combat
Whether you’re learning from your mistakes or learning from others experiences, how do you ensure you continue to move forward? Truthfully, it all starts in the mind. It has been said that success is 80% psychological and 20% mechanics. Establishing a culture that embraces an individual and organizational extreme high-performance mindset is a critical first step. When every individual within an organization is finely tuned and resourceful they will naturally adapt and persevere through any challenge they encounter.
The truth is that the world we live in is unpredictable. Just like in combat, the enemy has a vote. People must develop skills that allow them to adapt and be flexible in order to find success. By driving individuals towards high levels of psychological performance, we can forever shape a more consistent and successful future for all those involved.
Too many put focus only on the mechanics of strategy and tactics. In doing so, they miss the importance of individual and organizational states of mind. If your team isn’t psychologically ready to go or highly motivated for combat, even the best combat plan won’t be successful. Develop a TOPGUN-style training program now and get ready to achieve greatness.