“Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal — a commitment to excellence — that will enable you to attain the success you seek.” — Mario Andretti

All-stars, highfliers, all-pros, GOATs, heroes, best in class, legends and phenoms — we love ’em! Who would make your list of top performers? What qualified them to be listed? What do they have in common? Does the list leave gaps in skill, expertise or talent?

My list from the world of sports would include Michael Jordan, Trevor Brazile, Jordan Burroughs, Amy Van Dyken, Arnold Palmer, Roger Staubach, Nadia Comăneci, Mario Andretti, Michael Phelps, Wayne Gretzky, Secretariat, Venus and Serena Williams, Jackie Robinson, Jim Thorpe and more.  

These are people and one extraordinary equine with extraordinary levels of achievement sustained for prolonged periods of time; no flash-in-the-pan players on this list. High-performing individuals often come with inspirational stories. 

However, understanding the commonalities of those considered to be all-stars provides a framework for any who are seeking excellence. The path of exceptional performers is neither glamorous nor particularly exciting. Instead, the journey is born of hard work; discipline coupled with an unrelenting focus on predetermined and well-defined goals; and a deep understanding that managing self, egos, emotions, habits and mindset is critically important.  

The good news is hard work, discipline and self-management are universally available to everyone, regardless of circumstance. The bad news is the implementation and development of these qualities requires sacrifice, persistence and the ability to move past convenience, cynicism and the devastating allure of quick fixes and shortcuts.

Too often, people want the prize but fail to understand the price required to attain it. Excellence is never an accident. It is never achieved in one mighty leap, and it is never measured in the destination. 

Rather, excellence results from patient persistence, continuous improvement and sustained effort, and a deep appreciation for the journey,  complete with the pain and sacrifice that must be endured as a prerequisite to joy.  

My favorite Husker athlete of all time is Jordan Burroughs, a many-time world-champion. Burroughs reminds us that, “Humility comes before honor. Ignore the hype ... It is important to surround yourself with people who aren’t impressed by your accomplishments. You need individuals who are always willing to be honest with you even when it hurts. This is absolutely necessary.”  

Having the right mindset, maintaining humility and gratitude in both times of success and setback, plus having the support of a team dedicated to authentic conversations and feedback are elements that separate those who experience sustained high performance. Especially when compared to those who ring the bell once but then fall into the trap of self-aggrandization, valuing the trophy more than the process may feed their ego instead of developing their character.

Even the highest performers find themselves coming up short, but they never let the difficulty, the barrier or the temporary setback have the last word. They simply get back to the task, even when motivation is low. 

As Olympian Missy Franklin puts it, “Sometimes we complain, but there is something beautiful about waking up before everyone to get better at what we love.”

When we talk about excellent performance, there is a bias to look to the biggest stage and the high-profile arena. But to do so is a mistake — all-star performance is achievable in any activity, career path or life journey. Notoriety is not the point. Rather it is the application of the principles, fundamentals and habits to the roles and responsibilities that are right in front of us that ultimately create a culture of all-star performance at every level.  

Never forget that an all-pro custodian matters!

Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal — a commitment to excellence — that will enable you to attain the success you seek.” 
— Mario Andretti