For over 25 years I was working in the corporate environment, over half of those years was spent in IT. But then, and sadly even now, the numbers of females in IT was low in comparison to the number of males. And just like in any industry there were some average performers but there were also a few star high performers. It always intrigued me about how these few could stand out from the crowd. What made them different to the rest? In the back of my mind I always strove to be one of them and struggled for many years to figure out the “secret”…
But over the last few years, and as recently as two weeks ago, I believe that secret has been revealed. And the best thing about it? It is not gender specific, personality related, strengths correlated, background or ethnicity connected!
The secret is in the HABITS that those individuals practice. Not the type of habits which are unconscious and automatic but rather habits which are deliberate and intentional. In his recent book, “High Performance Habits – How Extraordinary People Become That Way” Brendon Burchard outlines the 6 habits backed by data and research which are unequivocally practiced by High Performers*.
By learning about these habits, it finally became clear to me what it was those few star high performers were doing. And what was even clearer, is whilst lots may practice a few of the habits, it is the combination of all six which ultimately results in high performance.
So, what are the High Performance Habits and how have I seen them work in the IT industry, and specifically practiced by female IT professionals?
Habit # 1: Seek Clarity
We’ve all heard that having a “vision” that your team can rally around as a leader is a critical element for success. However, in my experience I’ve not seen as much literature or discussion about having clarity about what YOU want is just as, if not more than, important for success. One of the female CIOs I have had the pleasure of working with clearly practiced this habit. She was always very clear about her personal vision, what she saw as critical for success and she was unapologetic about it. She had an overall vision for the department as well and her personal vision aligned, but the difference was she was transparent about her personal elements for success. And she was always refining. It wasn’t a static vision. Over the years that I worked with her I saw it evolve and change. Some may say she was “changing her mind” but what I saw was a woman who knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to adapt and incorporate feedback to refine her personal vision. She continued to seek clarity on an ongoing basis.
Habit #2: Generate Energy
These days there is so much information about health and wellbeing that this habit seems obvious. However, the nuance that I saw practiced was not just the focus on the physical aspect but also on the mental side. One of our female IT leaders in Australia whom I have not only had the pleasure of working with but who is a good friend practices this habit relentlessly. She always, without fail, is consciously happy. Not “Pollyanna” happy but rather she consciously chooses each and every moment to be present, enthusiastic and joyful. And it’s not like she doesn’t have challenges, who of us, particularly in IT, don’t? It’s simply that she chooses to always stay on the side of generating positive energy rather than dwelling in the negative. And she exercises….regularly!
Habit #3: Raise Necessity
This habit took me some time to really understand until I realised it for myself. It’s more than finding your why (although you can at least Start With Why just like Simon Sinek asserts). But rather constantly and consistently living your why. The role model who comes to mind is an advocate of increasing the number of girls in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics). She is driven by the necessity to shift the number of women primarily in IT but also STEM by extension. She strives to be the best she can be so she can fulfil her mission. She asks more of herself every day to make a difference.
Habit #4: Increase Productivity
This has got to be my favourite practice. Maybe it’s gender biased to say, but in my experience finding ways to increase productivity is a habit that a lot of women excel in. For various reasons, whether that be juggling work, children, family, parents, extracurricular activities, whatever it may be, the old generalisation of female “multitasking” I believe is really the continual pursuit to increase productivity. During my stint of working in the Asia Pacific region, a colleague I met was phenomenal at getting more done in the same number of hours as everyone else. Why? She was purely focused on a few number of outcomes, she had a definitive plan to achieve them and she didn’t let not knowing get in her way. If she didn’t know something, she found a person who did and learned… quickly!
Habit #5: Develop Influence
The best leaders I have been fortunate to work for were master influencers and over time I watched them get even better. There was one leader early in my career who I will never forget as she was the most graceful influencer I have ever seen. She was able to teach me without me feeling like I was lacking. She challenged me to be better, grow and take on experiences that I would never have attempted without her prodding. But best of all she was a role model that inspired me and who I aspired to be like.
Habit #6: Demonstrate Courage
Unfortunately, from my perspective, this habit is the one that very few females practice regularly. In my experience, particularly in IT, a lot of the awesome female professionals I have worked with undervalue their experience and skills in relation to their male colleagues. And I of course have been guilty of the same thing. Until I met a former colleague who shared with me her journey. When I heard her story, the struggles she had worked through, her ambition (then) to be the best IT security professional (and why) and all to ensure her daughters had a better experience in their childhood then she did; I realised she demonstrated courage each day. It didn’t have to be big and glamorous, but pushing every day to work harder, be better, give more and grow outside her comfort zone built a character of courage that I admired and still inspires me to this day!
But these High Performance Habits are not exclusive to females in the IT industry. They are habits that when adopted and practiced consistently and continuously have been proved to lift anyone’s performance irrespective of their gender, personality, strengths, background or ethnicity etc. And ones which I have endeavoured to adopt and continue to build into my own life on my journey of high performance.
* High Performance is defined as succeeding beyond standard norms, consistently over the long term. www.highperformanceinstitute.com
Take the High Performance Quiz to find out more and if you have any thoughts or input about this post be sure to like it and please leave your comments below. I’d love to connect with you about your own journey.
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