As we close in on the final weeks of the college football season in the United States, tension is running high concerning who is in and who is out. Who as the best team, and who will make it into the final four? The word “elite” is being thrown around, as in, “This elite program,” or “That elite athlete.” Well, saying you are elite is one thing, actually being elite is quite another.

5 Hallmarks of Elite Leaders

When you find truly elite performers, you can be assured they have perfected the following five hallmarks:

1.      Preparation – elite performers make preparation a hallmark of their existence. They never take any challenge for granted. They never think they “got it.” They prepare and then prepare some more. Elite performers know that being elite is made in the moments that most people will never see you do. As Muhammad Ali once said, “The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.”

2.      Dedication – You can’t be elite without dedication. Dedication is an internal passion for what you are called to do. Without being dedicated to your craft, you allow other things to consume your time. Indifference or apathy can occur, and your level of intensity toward your goal is lost.

3.      Focus – elite performers exhibit incredible focus on the job before them, not on what they fear or don’t understand. Without focus, we become easily distracted, and there is a lot these days to distract. As Brian Tracy says, “The key to success is to focus our conscious mind on things we desire not things we fear.”

4.      Tenacity – without tenacity, you will quit when things get difficult, and there is no elite performance when quitting or backing off is an option. Tenacity is about having the courage to continue forward, even in challenging times. “Being a top performer - whether it's in business or on the athletic field - requires grit and tenacity, as well as the continuous desire to become better.” - Amy Morin

5.      Commitment – is an external declaration that something is a priority in your life. Similar to dedication listed above, except dedication is internal and about your level of passion, commitment is external and is about your obligation. You commit to the outcomes of goals you have set, and you commit to those who are in the challenge with you. If you are not committed, you can become indifferent, and this can affect others by becoming a wedge of dissent on the team.

You are Either Elite, or You are Not

Elite performers are not just elite in one area of their life; they are elite in other areas of their life as well. As the University of Minnesota head football coach PJ Fleck says, “You can’t be elite in one area of your life but not another, you are either elite or you’re not.”  If you are elite on the field or the job, but you are struggling with your family or close relationships, then there is work to do.

Take the five hallmarks above and ask yourself,

“Am I FOCUSED on my relationship with my (wife, child, brother, parent, etc.)?”

“Am I DEDICATED to my relationship with my ((wife, child, brother, parent, etc.)?”

You get the idea. Just be honest with yourself as you look at elite performance in every area of your life. Becoming and remaining an elite performer is something that takes work, discipline, and courage. It doesn’t come to those who don’t embrace the five hallmarks above. What’s keeping you from an elite-level performance? Which areas do you need to work on most?