PursuingElite
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A Commander's responsibility is to maintain the seaworthiness of the ship, foster the fighting spirit of the crew, and position the sailors, ship, and salvos for maximum impact in battle. An intimate understanding of each is required ... to include oneself. Self-awareness is as vital as seamanship when wearing the weight of command.
In PusuingElite, we discuss the 5 outcomes of any endeavor - bad, average, good, excellent, or elite - describe what each of those outcomes mean to ourselves and those who depend on us, and decide that in our passions and professions ... the only acceptable outcome should be somewhere between excellent and elite. We also look to the lives of past and current elite achievers and explore how they use the PursuitPoints to produce outcomes they are proud of.
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The PursuitPoints
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Balance: Elite leaders build high ground for hard days, because they know that hard days are unavoidable. They build the fort they fall back to when adversity rises. Balance is engineered. Present by design and in anticipation of need.
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Curiosity: Elite leaders are life long learners. They know there is an efficiency - an angle, ally, or advantage - yet to be discovered. They also know their most formidable competition will find it if they do not. They want to find out, not be found out.
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Tribalism: Elite leaders know that if no one is following them, they are not leading. Further, they know that who is following them, how they view each other, their leader, and and the mission has massive implications. Organizations can be described as gaggles, groups, teams, or tribes ... elite leaders know driving towards tribalism offers the highest probability of victory.
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Intentionalism: Elite leaders know why they are doing what they are doing. They always find ways to never forget the reasons they started the harder road. They understand that knowing why they do what they do - personally and professionally - allows them to endure adversity and persevere where others can not.
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Authenticity: Elite leaders share their scars. They preach from their pain. They do this for both tactical and moral reasons. Tactically, they recognize mistakes as increments of time lost - and to let others make the same mistake is to double down on irreplaceable lost time. Morally, they recognize that to spare others the scars and seasons of pain they've endured is to redeem those seasons. Not recovered, but redeemed by offering those regrets and mistakes as a waypoint ... in nautical terms a "navigation hazard."