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Should we be thinking about “performance” differently?




I’m often approached by clients who want to improve their “performance” as leaders. When I ask what they mean by “performance,” I hear things like:

- “I want to feel like I’m thriving rather than just getting by” - “I want to feel like I’m more in control and less anxious” - “I want to feel more in my element… and to find my mojo again”

Who does not want to be thriving with zesty resilience, self-agency, and control? These eager seekers are often pumped, ready, excited to be put on a crossfit-style leadership program to achieve these outcomes. They recognize that the flow that perhaps they had once experienced is missing. They’ve hit a wall and can no longer rely on brute force to get the results they want. They do not lack the skills and expertise; rather, something else that is invisible (to them) is holding them back from reaching their fullest potential.

The truth is, to break-through and sustain high performance as leaders, we have to think about it differently.

Let me explain.

What do you think about when envisioning an athlete training for the Olympics? Many conjure up images of high intensity training, sweat and agony… because “No pain, No gain”, right? While discipline and focus are central elements for building endurance and strength, we often underestimate the amount of time and effort these athletes also spend on working past mental blocks, building flexible approaches, enhancing contextual awareness, etc. — in another word, tending to their internal conditions. In fact, for the already skilled athletes, mental agility and flexibility, perceptional awareness, intuition and instincts are all the secret ingredients to consistently achieving highest level results under pressure. All these are only possible by tending to their internal conditions, rather than focusing only on building external capabilities.

Now, taking this analogy and apply to leadership performance. Leaders often focus on building their external capabilities — whether if it is executive presence, communications, time management, etc., and not enough time on cultivating their internal conditions.

What are the internal conditions of leadership?

"Internal conditions" is everything that is underlying what is visible ... they drive your actual behaviors, actions, and thus, impact. They can be mental models, world view, assumptions, belief systems, personal values, etc. Essentially, these make up the operating system that dictates how you run as a person.


When we are able to work with these internal variables, it helps enhance leadership range and flexibility, enables more clear perception, and reduces noise so we can follow our true instincts.

What type of leadership challenges would internal conditioning help with? When leaders are open to explore these conditions, they can begin to effectively tackle leadership challenges like:

  • Breaking through personal barriers and limitations

  • Navigating and leading under extreme uncertainties

  • Making tough, complex decisions under pressure

  • Showing up with personal power, etc.

Why? We, as human beings, have built in biases from our past experiences. These biases impact the way we view situations — as well as the range of available options available to us. These become blindspots and limit us from properly assessing the current situation, seeing all the factors at play, and acting in accordance to our intention. It is only when we become aware of these limitations (some can be disguised as our “strengths” — more to come on that), we can shift our behaviors and actions — including seeing the situation more clearly, assessing a full range of options, making better decisions, and communicating with intention.

Now, tell me how? You don’t need fancy protein powder, magical supplements, or expensive conditioning equipments — the cultivation of internal conditions takes three key ingredients: 1) Will, 2) Intention, 3) Attention. In essence, it takes the willingness to pay attention to one’s own thought patterns, behaviors, and emotions — and be open and vulnerable to examine the underlying assumptions, mental models, and unconscious biases — in service of becoming a better leader for others and achieving a more authentic way of leading.

How do I get started? Just like watching game tapes of yourself in action to dissect how to improve your game, journaling and self-inquiry are ways to make your thinking patterns visible — so you can begin to detect how they are influencing your behaviors. You may seek the assistance from a coach, who can help you identify your blindspots, triangulate for root causes, and make connections between your predisposed patterns and felt leadership impact— so that you can make and sustain the changes you want to see.

Here are a few questions to help you get started: Think of a few leadership situations where you felt disappointed by your own actions/reactions, you were defense and triggered by others, or found yourself at a loss …

1) What were your assumptions about yourself, others, and the situation? Are they true?

2) What patterns of thoughts were predominantly present in you? How were these thoughts impacting your interpretation of the situation and the available options?

3) If you felt strong feelings and internal uneasiness, it is likely that your personal values were being challenged. What were they?

As you journal your answers, pay attention to what insights surface from this experience and where else can you apply these insights to bring more clarity, ease, and holistic understanding of yourself.

Are you noticing any patterns? Recognize one of more these personas within you?



A) Indirect Avoider — who avoid conflicts and communicates passive aggressively. She fears the insecurity from being seen.

B) Angry Intimidator — who commands control and assumes others are captive audience. She is afraid of being out of control and disrespected;

C) Fraud Protector — who is cautious and suspicious of others and manage perception very carefully. She is afraid of being exposed.


Learn more about how these and other saboteur personas may be holding you back and how you can overcome them here.


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At MKMB, we guide leaders, businesses, organizations through a holistic process to shift their operating systems in order to create optimal conditions for reinvention and transformation.

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