The last two years I’ve spent a lot of time in self-directed research on leadership and teams. As a result, I want to share a few thoughts and takeaways from this process.

I wanted to start with the value of being on a high-performing team. I purposely don’t say winning because I think those are two separate things. A winning team isn’t always high-performing and not all high-performing teams win (it all). Through both my research and experience I am convinced that, for many people (myself included), being on a high-performing team increases their output.

I think this happens for a few reasons. When you are in a high-performing team is it easy to buy into the mission. You see your colleagues performing and it motivates you. The goals and ambitions are big and exciting. This creates an environment where the standard is elevated. Mediocrity isn’t acceptable. You might fail, but you analyse the situation, learn from it, and move forward. Whatever problems exist don’t hinder you because they are just part of the are bigger picture. If they are challenging enough, then problems are eventually addressed in a high-performing environment.

Mediocre environments have the opposite effect. Problems tend to get blown out of proportion. They linger and start to form a film that is nearly impossible to wipe off. In this environment people move to self-preservation. They retract and change their calculation to what amount of effort they want to give (based on the returns) rather than throwing themselves fully into the endeavour. At best you might find some islands of performance in a sea of mediocracy. This is the cultural death spiral.

It is nearly impossible to come back from this. One reason is that it only takes one person who is not on board to influence others. It is amazing how quickly one disenchanted team members can impact the rest. The high-performers and potential high-performers really start to resent the problem child(ren). It is like a contagious virus- better to quarantine it and protect the others. If the infection spread too far, then the only way out is the long, hard road…and that is far from guaranteed.

I’ve been a part of both mediocre and performing environments in my sports, work, and personal life. I am 10x better in a high-performing environment than an average one. There’s a phrase on American sports “playoff mode” that explains players who increase their performance in the post-season. A high-performing team takes me to playoff mode. Conversely, I get really frustrated in a mediocre environment. It is like being on the bench. My skills atrophy unless I work overtime on my own to keep them up. That is sustainable in the short-term, but it will exhaust you in the long-term.

Earlier in my career I wasn’t as aware of the fact that I could (and should) search out high-performing environments. This is partly because, on balance, I spent most of my time in high-performing environments. However, I have enough experience in environments that allow mediocrity to know that it is not worth it. I get frustrated and waste energy (and time) on dealing with the mediocrity. So, here are my keys to putting myself in the right environment:

Surround yourself with like-minded people

It sounds obvious, but the people around you influence you. And probably more than you think. Surround yourself with people who make you better. For me, this starts with people who want to push the edges of their performance. If they have lofty goals and value honesty, then even better!

Take control

It is easy to find yourself going with the flow.This might work temporarily, but eventually you will stall. In the professional world, nobody will care more about your progress than you. If you invest in your career, then you will find plenty of people willing to help you on your journey.

Move fast when it isn’t right

This is the hardest one for me. I tend to invest emotional energy and I am stubborn. This leads to me hoping/thinking it might work. Sometimes it does. But it is increasingly obvious to me that there is usually a point where you know- it is not going to work. I’ve learned to be okay with that. I’ve also learned that it is best to move quickly once you come to that conclusion.

Nothing is guaranteed and you have to accept that the journey is going to have plenty of challenges. However, it will be better if you’re in the right environment. And your progress will be faster. For me, that is a high-performing team.