The Pursuit of Excellence: The Uncommon Behaviors of the World's Most Productive Achievers

by Ryan Hawk

“He who jumps into the void owes no explanation to those who stand and watch.”

“take control of your own development. That’s your property . . . how you grow, who you become. You have to be intentional about owning that.”

it becomes even more important for you to take control of your own development. Don’t assume that anyone is going to do this for you or that it will be perfectly mapped out by your employer. Even if your company is willing to pay for training, you may have to be the one who seeks out the development programs you need, so that your employer can simply pay the bill.

Combine a range of skill sets. Robert Greene shared with me that one of the keys to excellence is building knowledge and skills and combining them in a unique way. For example, if you work in finance, master the skill of public speaking. Combining the skill of understanding the financial metrics of a business with that of standing up in a room and delivering a compelling talk will set you apart and help you grow your career.

has tracked the physical and emotional well-being of two groups of people: 268 Harvard graduates from the classes of 1939–1944 (the Grant Study), and 456 men from very different circumstances—those “who grew up in the inner-city neighborhoods of Boston” (the Glueck Study) from the year 1939 to 2014. The conclusion? According to Robert Waldinger, the fourth director of the ongoing study, the factor that surpasses all the rest in terms of correlated importance to long and happy lives is love. “The clearest message that we get from this 75-year study is this: good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period,” he explained from the stage at TEDxBeaconStreet in 2015. “It’s not just the number of friends you have, and it’s not whether or not you’re in a committed relationship. It’s the quality of your close relationships that matters.”11 Kevin Hern is a senior financial analyst at a large pharmaceutical company who is living out Waldinger’s thesis. Kevin is very good at his job and he loves the work, but ask him about an annual event called Camp Hern and he lights up. “The first gathering started in 2006. I realized I wasn’t seeing the important people in my life enough, so I asked 10 of my friends to stay with me for the weekend.” This meant those 10 friends had to find random places to sleep in Kevin’s house, which was also home to his wife, children, and mother-in-law. While the quarters were initially tight, the bond it formed was intoxicating. The attendees promised...

I remember growing up, being fascinated by the stories told by my Grandpa Dean Hawk. He loves to share our family’s history and his pride in the Hawk name. He’d tell us grandkids, “You’re going to grow up and people will ask for your autograph. When you sign it, be proud of your name.” He even put together a book of stories about all the work done by members of the Hawk family throughout history. I remember reading it and swelling with pride.

As a leader of your family, your workplace, and your community, you should be a griot. Work on recording and telling the entertaining and informative stories of the rich history of your life. Write them down. Share them with others. This practice helps you gain clarity of thought and will build pride in yourself, your work, and your family.

As part of the leadership development work that Brook Cupps and I teach to leadership teams, we ask each participant to do an exercise called “This I Believe.” The assignment was first created by Brook in the leadership class he teaches at Centerville High School. Here are the directions: 1. Write an essay expressing what you believe (values, behaviors, actions). When presented, it should be two to four minutes in length. It must end with “This I believe.” 2. Create a movie, including pictures and/or videos, as you narrate your voiceover, which is the text of your essay. My video is viewable on YouTube (https://youtu.be/7ydhMxalUoU).

I believe in lifelong learning, and I love to learn from others whose lives I admire. I work to hold myself to high standards, and build the world I want to live in. It’s important to me never to think “that’s not my job” or wait for things to change, but to move proactively to improve myself and strive to help others. I consider it critical to take ownership of my thoughts, words, and actions, and take responsibility for the consequences. I believe preparation is the greatest medicine for fear, and it’s a way to show respect for others. Whether I’m conducting an interview, giving a keynote speech, or meeting with a mentee, I can never be too prepared. I believe in giving, to use what I’ve been given and what I’ve worked to earn and share it with others. I believe in building meaningful long-term relationships because love is what life is all about. To build those relationships, I lead with trust. I choose to assume the best in people. I’ve found that when I lead with trust, the people around me will work to keep it. If I get burned, so be it. I believe in spreading positive gossip. Instead of defining myself by what I’m opposed to, I want to be known as someone who is for things. I believe in being generous in my praise of others. I write thank you notes and compliment people behind their back. All of these qualities and actions reflect my core values—and living my core values leads me toward excellence. My values are thoughtfulness, thankfulness, curiosity, and consistency.