On Tuesday evening, Josh Hamilton hit four home runs in the Texas Rangers 10-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles. It was the best night of Hamilton’s career and one of the best performances in baseball history. As part of the four home runs, he had 8 RBIs and a record 18 total bases. So how did he do it? Are there lessons leaders can learn from Hamilton that will allow us to perform at peak performance?
The following are the leadership principles extracted from a Sports Illustrated game recap that can be read in its entirety by clicking here. The qualities of peak performers are:
- Contentness – Most peak performers are constantly dissatisfied. They are always trying to get better. Ironically, Hamilton was incredibly at peace as he approached his final at bat. Hamilton, who already had a career-high 3 home runs, said, “I just went up like it was any other at-bat because if I don’t hit one, I’ve still had a really good night.” Hamilton is providing a unique perspective than what leaders are normally taught.
- Gratefulness – Peak performers celebrate victories along the way. “Obviously it’s, other than being in the World Series, the highlight of my big-league career,” Hamilton said. “I was saying after I hit two I’ve never hit three in a game before, and what a blessing that was.”
- Mutual Success – Peak performers understand you need a great team around you to achieve maximum success. They focus on their teammates and are honored to share success with them. Hamilton added, “To hit four is just an awesome feeling, to see how excited my teammates got.”
- Expertise – Peak performers are incredibly skilled at their craft. Teammate Nelson Cruz calls Hamilton “the best athlete in baseball.”
- Lighten The Load – Peak performers make the jobs of their teammates easier. Though humorous, there is deep meaning in the teammate Elvis Andrus statement, “He kept hitting bombs and bombs. It feels really good because I don’t have to run that hard to score.”
- Previous Success – Hamilton was the American League’s MVP in 2010. Peak performers have an impressive resume to build from. They are comfortable with achievement. Previous success can sometimes result in complacency. However, peak performers know how to leverage quality experience and steward abundance.
Contentness, Gratefulness, Mutual Success, Expertise, Lighten The Load, and Previous Success. If you have these 6 qualities, you may experience the joy of peak performance as well.
Leaders, what were your thoughts watching Hamilton’s performance this past week?
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