I write a lot about high-performance and rightfully so. But when you have a collection of high-achievers, what separates them from each other? What is the key differentiator?
A Historic Achievement
This past week we got a picture of what makes the difference between talented people and those who will appear on the Mount Rushmore of their profession.
In the second period of the Edmonton Oilers 9-2 win over the San Jose Sharks on Monday, April 15th, Connor McDavid became only the fourth person in NHL history to record 100 assists in a season. See the historic moment below.
McDavid has 100 points in a season seven of his nine seasons so he is used to producing at an elite level. But this was the first time he had recorded that number in assists alone.
“It’s probably the hardest (thing) he’s accomplished.”
Teammate Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said in this The Athletic article, “It’s probably the hardest (thing) he’s accomplished. You can’t really be surprised with the things he does every year.”
I found this statement insightful. The hardest thing one of the greatest hockey players in history has probably done is make other people successful at a record-breaking level. It is likely the same thing for you and I as leaders.
3 Things You Need To Make Others Successful
So how do you become a leader who helps others become successful? McDavid gave us some insight. He said, “It’s not something that you set out to do. It’s a product of playing with some really good players, playing on a good team and putting in a lot of hard work.”
From his words, we learn three things needed to become a leader who makes others successful:
- Really good teammates
- Really good team culture
- A lot of hard work
Connor McDavid has separated himself from his peers and is now on a short-list of the greatest hockey players ever because of his ability to make others better. May his example inspire us to do the same.
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