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THE FIVE-POINT PLAN FOR LEADERSHIP AND PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE

THE KEY ASPECT OF superior performance is inner control: control over the mental, emotional, and physiological states that are present in every performance situation. That control is exercised through well-developed peak performance competencies. Without mastery of these, business professionals cannot hope to repeat and sustain exceptional performance under pressure without the inevitable consequences on leadership effectiveness, team and organizational performance, and, ultimately, their own health and welfare.

So what are these critical mental skills that can build and develop the performance capacities essential for extraordinary performance in extreme conditions? What are some of the discoveries from the new science of the brain that affect how we develop these mental skills and how we view the mind in general? Systematic education and training in these skill sets develops the power of purpose, optimism, self-control, self-regulation, focus, and imagination.

This is done by developing the five skills of the Apex Model (figure 3.1)

Figure 3.1 Apex Performance Model.

1. GOAL SETTING

Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “The greatest thing in this world is not so much where we are, but in what direction we are moving.” A journey starts with knowing where you want to end up. This is especially true for anyone who wants to begin the journey to becoming a peak performer. Setting goals is relatively easy. Making them happen is not. A key part of any lasting goal-setting process is the idea of a mission. Knowing and living a mission provides the motivation and perseverance to forge ahead when the going gets tough. It is much more than having a goal.

A great deal has been written about goal setting and goal-setting techniques. Our approach to setting the target is not so much about a technique as it is a process for identifying what you really want to accomplish, the inclusive smaller steps needed to get there, and the positive mindset necessary for ensuring enduring determination. This last part is critical. Stopping with a list of goals and objectives is just not enough. It does not activate the energy needed to see them through to completion. They must be deliberately connected to our daily thoughts and self-talk. It takes transforming objectives, which in their simplest forms are actions, into affirmations that connect what we are doing with what we are thinking. By recording these affirmations and having people listen to them regularly, we mimic the way young children learn language at home—hearing it repeatedly, creating new neural pathways.

After completing our goal-setting process, a CEO of a $3 billion healthcare company said, “I have done goal-setting exercises before. We in business do this all the time. But taking it to the next level is something I had not done before. The power of this process is truly remarkable.”

2. ADAPTIVE THINKING

Confidence is the ultimate determinant of success. It comes from within. No one can give it to you. It reflects how we view ourselves and how prepared we see ourselves for oncoming challenges. We see and hear this all the time in sports, but we do not hear it as much in the business world. Yet our experience in working with business leaders has shown us that confidence can be a crucial issue.

We become what we think about most. People carry around images of themselves—of who they are and how they perform. These “pictures” begin at birth and continue throughout life, capturing all of our experiences. These experiences reflect both our successes and failures, as well as the manner in which they are interpreted and stored. Much of this self-image is driven by our thoughts (positive and negative) and maintained and reinforced by our self-talk. Given the basic negativism surrounding our lives, being positive and having trust and confidence in our abilities is really hard work.

Our brains do not help here, either. There are areas in the old brain stem (primitive brain) whose sole function is to magnify negative incoming messages and minimize positive ones. To make matters worse, the limbic system, which is the seat of emotions, floods us with negative emotions and perceptions with the primary task of predicting the worst. These brain functions are a carryover from our prehistoric days in the African savanna and function as if we were still there. From the moment of birth, the deck is somewhat stacked against us. Fighting these built-in mechanisms with our logical, thinking brains is an ongoing struggle. We can learn to shift from negative to positive patterns of thinking and to control that chatter inside our heads. People need to take responsibility for their thoughts, and deliberate and systematic training can help them achieve that control.

We train people to shift from negative to positive patterns of thinking and to control self-talk. Based on Martin Seligman’s work and other recent scientific evidence based on how children learn language at home, positive-effective thinking can be systematically developed. We help the individual come up with affirmations and then record them to listen to repeatedly. This methodology is derived from research, and it is an effective tool for transforming negative thoughts to positive ones and moving from a pessimistic to an optimistic mindset. Mastery of this competence can transform a person into an exceptional thinker.

3. STRESS AND ENERGY MANAGEMENT

Stress and energy go together. Anyone can perform well when everything is going just right. But what about when conditions are unfavorable, when things are going against you, when the pressure is on, when things are not going according to plan? Who really delivers then? There are performers who actually thrive under these conditions. They welcome the pressure. It drives them and gives them energy and desire, coupled with the ultimate satisfaction of having overcome all odds while doing something exceptional. These are your peak performers. The debilitating effects of stress on the individual and the organization have been well documented in recent years. There is little debate, for example, that for business organizations, stress is a major factor that reveals itself as diminished performance and increased healthcare costs. As another example, in the war on terror, stress manifests itself especially in the form of increased rates of PTSD and related psychological disorders.

One of the major stressors in business is the relentless pressure to deliver results through higher and higher levels of performance and ever-increasing productivity. Many companies offer stress management seminars in hopes of raising awareness about the effects of stress and providing simple coping mechanisms. However, research on high performers in both sports and the military has shown that the ability to handle oneself in high-pressure situations is less about the stressors and more about the individual’s response to them. The U.S. Army recognizes that the challenges of combat can inevitably produce stress in a soldier. Emerging understanding of the physical and mental reactions of humans to stress suggest that while stress is a natural and inevitable reaction to extreme environments and events, it need not be debilitating to the individual or the unit.¹ The solution lies in a more systematic and integrated approach to providing the necessary tools for actually thriving under pressure, not just surviving.

We couple traditional stress management techniques with innovative uses of the most recent sensory feedback technologies to develop the ability to manage stress and energy levels. We agree with John Eliot. He points out in his book, Overachievement, that exceptional performances are not about being relaxed. They are about being energized and excited and impassioned and always very much in control. Understanding how stress works from a neurophysiological perspective, having means at your disposal for altering its effects, and receiving quality high-tech feedback on how you are doing are powerful tools for learning how to thrive in pressure situations and for living your life.

4. ATTENTION CONTROL

In their insightful book The Attention Economy, Thomas Davenport and John Beck discuss how in today’s society “the new scarcest resource isn’t ideas or talent, but attention itself.”² The demand for our attention in modern society is unparalleled in both scope and intensity. Yet the way in which we attend has not significantly changed over time.

We still primarily learn to attend to the right things at the right time through trial and error and, if fortunate, through good coaching by parents, teachers, coaches, and so forth. Through this method, we learn what is useful for our attention and what is not as we encounter new situations. However, today’s stimulus-rich environment, with so many different things competing for our attention, does not provide the most efficient and effective atmosphere in which to learn to attend. The resultant attention deficit threatens to seriously cripple the workplace. In fact, a new term has been coined by Davenport and Beck—Organizational ADD, a condition wherein there is “an increased likelihood for missing key information when making decisions, diminished time for reflection . . . difficulty holding others’ attention . . . and decreased ability to focus when necessary.”³

If you think about it, today’s business world seems to call for the type of attention required on a battlefield, and in a battlefield environment, we must change the way we develop the ability to focus and concentrate. We need to place less emphasis on what to pay attention to and more on teaching how to pay attention. A more scientific approach to addressing attention is to recognize that it is the result of a number of different brain areas at work, and we must train these areas to search for and integrate new information with the old. The complexity of these crossover signals provides some insight on how the brain filters incoming information. Without this filtering process, we would be overwhelmed and unable to survive.

Our brains are wired to attend to one thing in one sensory mode at any one moment. This explains a little known and rarely accepted fact: There is no multitasking! By multitasking, I mean simultaneous execution of at least two or more tasks. Actually, this should read, “There is no multiat-tending!” Our brains simply are not set up to do that. Habitual multitasking may even result in a situation where you cannot focus even if you want to. Even though multitasking is a myth, in a survey conducted by Apex Performance, 67 percent of the responders considered themselves good at it. What you can do is learn to shift your focus and concentration in a way that improves your ability to attend to what matters most. What people perceive as multitasking is actually an efficient shifting of attention between senses and targets.

Highly effective attention requires complete immersion with a singular focus and sustained intensity. Yes, we can physically execute a number of different tasks simultaneously, but the quality of each will be severely diminished. You can easily observe this for yourself when driving and texting or even talking on a cell phone, when answering emails while engaged in a telephone conversation and typing a memo, and so on. The list is endless.

We provide business leaders and others an innovative and scientific approach to addressing this attention challenge. Our attention control training combines a simple but robust framework for understanding how attention works, a means for navigating that framework, and new brain wave (EEG) technology that provides accurate feedback about how one is paying attention—the key to improving focus and concentration directly.

5. IMAGERY

In its simplest form, imagery is about doing a mental recon and rehearsal in a very specific way. To achieve a challenging goal, you must see it already accomplished. Imagery, commonly referred to as visualization, is a powerful tool for doing exactly that. It involves using all the senses to create or re-create an experience in the mind. Everyone has this inherent capability; how well it is developed is a function of your developmental experiences. We all use imagery in one form or another all the time. We differ in its sophistication and effectiveness. Some visualize effectively with no formal training, while most do so only after systematic training and practice. The neurological wiring, however, is in everyone. The early and consistent use of imagination in play and work helps build the brain “muscles” for visualizing. Imagery maximizes potential for performance by helping develop greater confidence, energy, concentration, and feelings of success.

In our Five-Point Peak Performance Model, visualization and imagery are developed as a specific peak performance competency as well as an integrating mechanism. Imagery can be developed as a powerful mental talent that can be used to enhance performance, improve a specific skill, accelerate healing and recovery from injury, generate breakthrough ideas, and create a vision. The first step is assessing how well an individual’s visualization skill has developed. We have discovered through biofeedback and neurofeedback instrumentation that high-quality visualization is characterized by a deep physiological and mental coherence coupled with an optimal level of alertness and concentration. The power of imagery comes from the confidence gained by seeing and feeling successful performance in the mind before it actually happens. The common description of seeing success in your mind beforehand is the thought “I have been here before.”

IN-DEPTH LOOK AT TRAINING

An in-depth look at the science behind the development and application of our five-point model will show how these processes work in all facets of life.

My initial theory was that a multifaceted training regimen would enhance resilience, self-confidence, adaptability, and mental agility. The key element was the integrated use of the latest biofeedback and neuroscience technologies for accelerating the acquisition and application of training. Technology brings to life all performance theories and translates progress into real-time statistics.

Today I use this same biofeedback at Apex. Professionals can record vital data in real experience conditions and review them afterward with their clients. Each person who comes to our offices takes a baseline assessment at the beginning of the program and then completes one-on-one sessions with our Peak Performance Training professional. Our goal is to create a person who is well equipped with a variety of strategies that will enable him to thrive within the constant pressures of his world. In order to accomplish this, a holistic and systematic approach regarding breathing, heart rate, blood flow, muscle tension, activation levels, and brain wave activity needs to occur. A person starts with gaining self-awareness for each modality required in an ideal performance state. Next, she learns specific strategies for how to be in command of her brain and body, and how to rewire her system for managing high-pressure maneuvers. Finally, a person’s newly acquired and enhanced performance state is tested in a variety of situations until he can demonstrate mastery, trusting his body will appropriately and consistently respond in the most effective manner.

When embedded in an organization, we install a brain-training program we call a “Mindroom.” In addition to one-on-one training, those in this program are responsible for daily brain-training exercises proven to advance performance. The Mindroom is uniquely designed to offer self-driven, controlled, repetitive practice that acts as reinforcement for what clients learn in their individual sessions. Mental skills that can be gained include rapid, efficient scanning of important/relevant information, short-term memory recall, and quick comparison and processing of visual information. Particular programs target speed and accuracy in handling information to develop greater mental clarity, quickness, and focus. The purpose is to react as quickly as possible while still achieving high levels of precision. Overall brain function related to flexibility and problem solving also greatly improves.

Progress is tracked and measured throughout the year, detailing where each participant is in regard to achieving optimal levels. This tangible, data-driven training allows the client to know exactly where her current level of functioning is and to be able to set goals for each physiological and mental peak performance domain.

NEURO TRAINING

One of the unique aspects of Apex training is that, through EEGs, we are able to analyze brain wave activity and report significant changes in attention levels and focused state. Seeing in more detail exactly how the brain functions in performance situations, we can then create more of the positive brain waves we want and diminish the brain waves we do not desire.

This type of brain training has the potential to improve performance, learning ability, and confidence by affecting arousal, attentional processes, and self-regulation. Brain wave frequencies are associated with different mental states. Through neurofeedback, we are able to discern the client’s level of focus and executive function. In addition, we can teach the brain to increase its production of situationally beneficial brain waves or decrease the production of detrimental wave states so participants can exercise greater control.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Committing time and effort to learning how the mind influences performance and making important connections between mind and body will enable Special Operations warriors, athletes, and business leaders to achieve their best when it matters most. But how do you know if it is really effective?

As in any training and development process, quality and accurate feedback are essential for learning. Since peak performance competencies are internal, learning to master them is best achieved with advanced biofeedback and neurofeedback technologies that measure covert activities like heart rate variability, respiration, blood pressure, brain activity, and so on. These technologies were once the domain of clinicians and biofeedback therapists, but we now use them to provide accurate and measurable feedback as the individual learns to master control over mental, physiological, and emotional responses to demanding and challenging events. Research in performance psychology continues to validate the importance and effectiveness of the competencies depicted in our five-point model.

TRAIN YOUR BRAIN

Recent discoveries provide amazing insights into how the brain works and its direct influence on performance. These discoveries alter the way we view learning. Two findings that will surely change what and the way we teach and train are neurogenesis and neuroplasticity. Neurogenesis is the process whereby neurons divide and propagate, just like cells in the rest of the body. New discoveries about the brain’s ability to generate and regenerate neural connections demolish the long-standing “science” that the brain cells with which we are born are all that we get and no new cells are grown. Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change its structure through experience. It is not a fixed entity. Environmental factors do not just influence the brain; they actually alter its structure and thus change it permanently. The implications of this discovery for educating and training are profound. Neuroplasticity plays a vital role in learning. Lifelong learning is now a reality, right to the very end. This new science tells us that the brain is not static but a living, evolving, constantly changing organ.

By literally training the brain, we can significantly develop the mental skills needed to create the leader capacities essential for success in the new world. Computerized “brain games” provide sophisticated exercises designed to directly affect certain brain functions and the mental processes associated with them. These complex mental processes influence and drive everything we do. Caution must be exercised when deciding to use any of the readily available brain games. Many of the games and the sites that sell them are gimmicky and do not work. Legitimate brain exercises must come from well-researched software and hardware that are properly developed by cognitive psychologists and neuroscientists.

For the brain to be stimulated and grow from these new and challenging exercises, it needs a specific pathway to follow. Chapter 4 walks you through how to develop an action plan that will break down what you need to accomplish, by the daily behaviors you will employ, to reach that higher level of performance. This timeline will keep you accountable and direct your progress toward all that you want to achieve.