In my broad and deep travels I have encountered excellence in individuals, in teams and in organizations. This month, I asked myself, “What are the necessary qualities for excellence?” and came up with the list below. I’ve divided these qualities into the individual, team and organizational level.
Every team has individuals with qualities for excellence. The magic of these teams, built from the greatness of their individuals, comes together to create a recipe for excellence within the organization as a whole.
While the importance of each of these qualities may vary as we adapt to changes, it is my experience that each of these elements are foundational ingredients for excellence.
Individual Level
Humility
Knowing yourself and humbly accepting your strengths and weaknesses will help you step into your potential and bring out the best in others around you.
Curiosity
Embracing the novice mindset no matter your experience level will help you see a more divergent and broader range of possibilities.
Openness
Being open to new experiences and possibilities supports growth and expansion, bringing positive and constructive energy to yourself and those around you.
Kindness
Adopting a kind outlook with yourself and others will help everyone be strong enough to adopt qualities of excellence as an individual, as a team, as an organization.
Team Level
Grace
Grace is an expression of humility, openness, kindness and curiosity for the full team.
Acceptance
Accepting the diverse range of perspectives across the team invites collaboration and synergistic thinking, contributing to sustainable team success.
Agility
Communicating and pivoting with agility, in concert as a team helps the team to grow, expand, and achieve exceptional results through a wide range of circumstances.
Perseverance
Developing endurance to push through challenges and opportunities helps teams create ‘better together’ stories, which in turn, contribute to more success stories.
Organization Level
Purpose
Providing clarity on the mission, vision, value and purpose of the organization defines WHY individuals, teams, partners, customers, engage, driving teams and individuals forward with momentum.
Drive
Managing and leading the organization well motivates and empowers teams and individuals to passionately to deliver on goals and commitments.
Excellence is a journey, not a destination. But it’s also a North Star - a guiding star worth following.