Escape From Excellence

Like millions of others, I was shocked and saddened by the sudden and tragic death of NBC News Washington bureau chief and long-time Meet the Press host Tim Russert. As I took in the coverage from his passing to his memorial, and had a chance to listen the comments of his family, friends, and colleagues, it quickly became abundantly clear that Russert had escaped from excellence and achieved mastery, in a big way. Those who knew him were not merely mouthing the appropriate pro forma testiments to his professionalism, character, and success that we’d expect in circumstances like this. This was much more. This was another level. As a way to pay tribute, and to extend his legacy by holding him up as an example of mastery, let’s take a closer look.

First, Russert was clearly excellent. He is given wide credit for his effort, proficiency, expertise, commitment, and acumen, which together  comprise the Five Virtues of Excellence. His work ethic, preperation, knowledge, savviness, determination, standards, and skill are legendary.

But Russert was more. Close associates referred to his uncanny ability to build genuine relationships, to his unflagging good humor, to his inspiring yet demanding leadership, and credited him with those rare human qualities that clearly set the great ones apart. And former GE (NBC parent) CEO Jack Welch said he made sure Russert made more money too.

Russert was a master: he manifested the Five Markers of Mastery (fearlessness, gracefullness, generativeness, effortlessness, and intuitiveness), in spades. And he clearly had shifted to the Five Pillars of Mastery: Energy (the guy never lost his enthusiasm, and loved where he was and what he did; he never seem to tire); Expression (he was his own man, followed his own path, and spoke his mind, with dignity and joy); Perspective (he saw to the issue, beyond the facts, and mantained personal and professional vision); Intention (he used soft power, a feel for the truth, and a sense of mission to stand up to anyone and ask tough but fair questions, and was able to attract the people and resources to perform at his best), and Wisdom (he never lost sight of his task, his responsibility, and as a result got the job he was born for, set the standard by which others shall be judged, and left a professional and personal legacy that will be both inspiring and hard to match). He took great joy in the success of others, and in the needs of his audience, his fellow citizens. He lived and worked from his Dynamic Essence. And he enjoyed enormous and unexpected rewards.

 Tim Russert wasn’t the coolest guy, as it is defined by the tragically hip. He wasn’t edgy, dangerous, or personally glamorous, and this by choice. He didn’t wield power brutally (even though he held great power), chase the spotlight, show off, act puffed up, or take revenge for minor slights. But it would be wrong to think that he was only about humble blocking and tackling, merely excellent, much less merely a fortunate mediocrity. That would be a terrible misreading of his modus operendi, and gladly I’ve heard no one make this mistake. Instead, the combination of ease and outcome, of low cost and high return, that we saw in Tim Russert is evidence of true Leadership Mastery.

The only outstanding question is whether Tim Russert was one of those rare people who was simply born that way. Did he ever spend much time experiencing the high costs of excellence or wasting time with the five failed strategies of excellence? I suspect not. I believe he may have been one of those few who have mastery built-in to their makeup, and whose transition from excellence to mastery is seamless, apparently either hardwired into his very nature or, perhaps, becoming part of his awareness at a very early age.

As a master, in his job, he won’t be replaced, only succeeded. 

God speed, Mr. Russert. Your legacy will include your witness to mastery for all of us.

We’ve all experienced the joy of watching a young child develop a passion. We see them bonding with one particular toy, banging on a drum without ceasing, dressing up like their hero, playing air guitar, or appearing to be glued to a tennis racket or baseball mitt. Eventually, one parent says, “For Pete’s sake, sign that kid up for some lessons!” Soon after, and usally as a card is about to be swiped, the “discipline talk” happens: “Well junior, (insert hero’s name here) had to work to get where they are. It’s wonderful that you love it, but it takes hard work, mastery of the fundamentals, practice, and discipline.” If the passion is real, the youngster takes this crucial advice to heart and begins the long journey to excellence.

Ah, but once inside excellence, as an adult, the relationship between discipline and passion is reversed. We’ve got the discipline, but passion can be in short supply, particularly when “vocation” and “career” are rarely the same thing. Think about it: We are surrounded by disciplined people who hold both themselves and others accountable to high standards and to an admirable work ethic. And the occasional junior or middle manager will even make quite a show of saying, “I have a passion for (insert business category here). ” But who really believes it? Ninety nine percent of the time it’s a put on, a crock, BS on toast. It fools no one, except maybe them. Many people trapped in excellence, meaning most of us, can say “I love my job” but then fantasize about exit strategies, seek compensatory rewards, and play the lottery anyway!

No, in business, we are mistaken if we assume that we and our people generate and sustain passion by looking forward to our paycheck, benefits, perks, prestige, and even our generalized passion for winning. That’s the Excellence Trap in action. Passion has to come from somewhere deeper, and Leadership Mastery unleashes it. A leader in mastery will overcome the narrow and shallow focus on discipline (and effort, skill, etc), to realize that the true driver of greatness for a leader, a team, and an entire enterprise, is the kind of passion that comes from the gut, the core, the soul. And this from each person, from the culture, and even from the market and the brands. As senior leaders, we need to connect with that passion, and help others to do the same. Otherwise, leadership mastery, enterprise mastery, and market mastery will elude us, and we will struggle for marginal advantage inside the Excellence Trap. So here’s to passion, and to profits. And here’s to finding both!