Marry the mundane…

I am confident that I know more then most about what creates and sustains high performance in individuals, teams, and leaders. And, I am obsessed with deepening my understanding in this endeavor. It makes no cents or sense to reread, rewrite, and invest endless hours mastering a craft that next to none will ever notice. It makes no sense to most.
Makes perfect sense to me…

Masters gain mastery by falling in love with the mundance, the nuance, and getting comfortable on the long, barren plateau that gets ever longer the higher one climbs regardless the aim. The masses all enjoy the gig when it’s young and the dizzying heights are being scaled seemingly with an ever graduating stride. Few stick once the newness and excitement wanes.

Masters keep working the problem. Masters practice and practice some more. Their practice looks boring to most. Their practice makes no sense to outsiders and casual observers. Makes perfect sense to the master.

Why so few masters in the world of professional work?

Visibility over vision is at the root. Well intentioned professionals get sidetracked because they chase an external scorecard. We overvalue metrics and measurement. We overvalue measurable progress. Vision over visibility requires an internal matrix that solves the problem, significantly, even when the external scoreboard sees nothing. Look back at the why behind your failed attempts to sustain something you know you want and you’ll see it. You, like so many I see every day, simply lost hope somewhere on the long plateau toward the top. And, the sad truth is you can’t remain there. Overtime you slide, slowly, and skills erode. Energy wanes. Fact.

Masters are rare because masters marry the mundane. Their vision makes the mundane meaningful. Vision over visibility is a great thought from Bono that I’ve extrapolated to our work. This discovery came to me in the mundane hours of studying the why behind the lyrics and the band. Make your opus your vision. Choose to make it your own. And, once you do, don’t forget to expect the mundane.

Marry the mundane, my friend. Marry the mundane…