Most executives walk into the interview room prepped and ready to sell themselves. They have perfected their CVs for the desired impact, and every possible interview question has been painstakingly rehearsed in their heads many times. They want to tell you the story of all the amazing things that “they” have achieved, but if you instead focus on the detail of exactly how they went about achieving them, over the course of an hour or so a true picture of their ability will often appear.
When they talk about how they went about doing things, in my experience, the truly top performers will tend to share the following 5 ingredients to their success:
They always seek feedback. High performers readily acknowledge that they are a sum of the experience of others. They are not afraid to ask for feedback and actively seek out mentor-type relationships with a disparate group of individuals from different environments in order to broaden their perspective. In actual fact, they obsess about learning from everyone around them.
They are utterly self-motivated. Motivation is not the hardest trait to pick up at interview. If someone has set themselves consistently challenging objectives and moved forward on a regular basis, you can be sure that they have the correct mindset to overachieve even in the most challenging of environments. Motivation comes in many forms and is arguably the binding agent in a high performer’s recipe to extraordinary success.
Setbacks are welcomed, not dreaded. Very few careers will be without setbacks, and how an individual reacts to obstacles is a sign of their resilience and determination. When a high performer talks you through a tough time in their career, you will hear an extra frisson of excitement in their tone – yes it was hard, but they knew that they would get through it in the end. High performers embrace the experience of tackling setbacks knowing that these lessons have only made them stronger.
Saying no is the door to saying yes. High performers know that they only have so much bandwidth to achieve the impossible, and this is only achievable if they say no to a good amount of non-essential activity. This may annoy certain colleagues, but in the long run they will ensure that they are as productive as possible for the organisation as a whole. Prioritisation is the key; you can’t take on a critical task if you are swamped with the non-essentials.
But they also know their worth. When it comes to the sharp end of negotiations, employers shouldn’t expect to be in a position of strength in the negotiations. High performers are very clear about the value that they provide and they understandably expect to be remunerated accordingly. Often, the interest goes beyond financial considerations and the real top performers are more looking at the cultural fit and scope of the role on offer. Often they need to feel that they are simply making a difference.
An interview can only provide a brief window into the potential of any individual. Having said that, you will know a high performer when you meet one. Their words and body language will be aligned, and their quiet confidence will assure you that they can back up what they say.