APPLYING THE SUCCESS FACTOR FOR ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP

Abstract

AbstractThe author details the results of many years studying high achievers in a variety of fields, including conducting more than 100 interviews, both in person and remotely. The group of interviewees included chief executive officers/CEOs, Olympic and NBA/National Basketball Association athletes, astronauts, and Nobel Prize winners. The results are in the author’s new book The Success Factor, and the findings are abstracted here. The four mindsets (not habits) common to all are intrinsic motivation, work ethic, strong foundation, and continuous Learning through informal learning. These high achievers are incredibly important to an organization. She writes that “High achievers produce 400% more than an average employee, as noted by researchers Ernest O’Boyle Jr. and Herman Aguinis, in a 2012 Personnel Psychology article, yet are given the least attention.” She also describes senior, junior, and peer mentors, as well as group mentoring. Some leadership lessons from this research, in her words are, Offer opportunities for exposure, provide autonomy, create advancement pathways, and offer further training. The author concludes that “knowing how to cultivate and lead these top performers will make your organization the go‐to place for those who wish to be supported on their ascension to success.”