Excellence is inefficient... and overrated
Many of us pride ourselves on operating from our Zone of Excellence. Here we do high quality work and are well rewarded. But Excellence comes at a cost. What's a more fulfilling alternative?
In our last post, I wrote about why (and how to) leave a “good job.” Let’s rewind a bit… what actually makes a job “good” or “good enough” vs one that’s personally and professionally amazing?
I had a lightbulb moment around this question when I came across psychologist Gay Hendricks’ Zones of Competence framework. He defines four Zones which we can work from:
It’s pretty obvious we shouldn’t build our careers around the Zones of Incompetence or Competence. But I was struck by the distinction between Excellence and Genius.
For most of my life, I’ve been happily camped in the Zone of Excellence. It’s secure, comfortable and rewarding. I feel good about myself because I’m recognised, growing and making a difference. What’s there not to love?
I had tastes of being in my Genius Zone but I didn’t know it as such. My mental frame had lumped Excellence and Genius under a generic umbrella of “goodness.” And to me, lots of “goodness” = I’m thriving and I should be happy.
I know now that 90% of the “goodness” I experienced came from being in my Zone of Excellence. Had I a clearer distinction between Excellence and Genius, I would’ve moved on sooner from “good enough” roles i.e., ones that mainly leverage my Excellence but not my Genius.
Here’s how I now differentiate Excellence and Genius, and why I think it’s important to make a clear distinction.
Excellence has diminishing returns; Genius unleashes exponential impact.
Excellence fills you up on empty calories; Genius fully nourishes you.
Excellence feels like a slog; Genius rejuvenates.
Excellence is fungible; Genius is one-of-a-kind.
Excellence has diminishing returns; Genius unleashes exponential impact.
In a recent Ceiling Breakers session, I noticed a subtle shift in one of our participants. It wasn’t what she said, rather it was a change in her energy and how she felt from across the screen. I dropped her a note with my observations and some questions for her to reflect on. She wrote back, so grateful that I’d brought this shift in to her conscious awareness. She saw herself as a leader in whole new light, and said that the impact was “already bleeding into aspects of non-work life as well.”
This outcome feels pretty big and meaningful. And all this from a subtle observation and an unassuming note which took me less than 10 minutes to write and felt like no effort at all.
That’s what’s possible in the Zone of Genius. In this Zone, you often see impact that’s outsized in scale and/or depth for the time and effort spent. Also, in the Zone of Genius there is unlimited upside. That’s because you’re constantly expanding the universe of possibilities e.g., seeing new patterns, making unexpected connections, and defying convention.
In the Zone of Excellence, an extra unit of time and effort generally leads to a predictable, incremental improvement in the outcome. At some point, you hit diminishing returns and an upper limit as you exhaust known possibilities and max out your capabilities.
Excellence fills you up on empty calories; Genius fully nourishes you.
When you do a great job, you are going to receive positive feedback and validation in the form of tangible and measurable rewards (e.g., high pay, promotions) and positive regard from others (e.g., praise, influence)
While the validation may look the same in the Zones of Excellence and Genius, how you value it will feel markedly different.
If you are honest with yourself, you’ll see that validation is your core motivator in the Zone of Excellence. This may show up as worrying about what others think, defining yourself by your results or status, and being driven by “shoulds”. Often, there’s also a sense of competition with others — and with yourself.
In the absence of being truly connected to your unique gifts and inherent value, validation serves as a security blanket. Validation boosts your self-worth by reinforcing positive self-images, calming your insecurities and making you feel accomplished or superior.
But chasing validation is like eating a plate of fries — it’s moreish and satisfies your cravings, but you’re filling up on empty calories. It’s unsustainable and you’ll end up feeling sluggish, remorseful and sick.
In your Zone of Genius, you’re not driven to prove anything to anybody — not even yourself. You feel nourished from the meaning, joy, freedom and true fulfilment you experience on the journey, and know your and your work’s intrinic value. External validation here is like a free side of fries. It’s a bonus that you can take-or-leave because you’re already full and perfectly satisfied.
Excellence feels like a slog; Genius rejuvenates.
This observation is also driven by the extrinsic vs intrinsic motivation dichotomy.
In my experience, Excellence has an element of “brute forcing” our way to achieve a high quality outcome. It comes with exertion, for example wrestling with concepts that don’t intuitively make sense, pushing through indifference/boredom or striving for an extra gold star. While the outcome and rewards are energizing, the process itself is draining physically, mentally, emotionally and/or spiritually.
In contrast, working in the Zone of Genius feels more organic — you’re sparking, flowing, connecting, aligning, tuning in. You don’t need to wait for results or positive external feedback to feel uplifted, rejuvenated and alive. You provide your own renewable energy.
Apple CEO Tim Cook sums it up beautifully: in the Zone of Genius, “you’re working harder than you ever thought possible, but the tools will feel light in your hands.”
Excellence is fungible; Genius is one-of-a-kind.
In your Zone of Excellence, you’re creating outputs that others with similar skills, will and resources can deliver.
As long as you play outside your Zone of Genius, you’re not fully expressing your brilliance and unique superpowers. In effect, you’re robbing yourself and others of happiness, discoveries and innovations that only you can bring about.
(I came across Hevesh5 this week, and I’m so grateful that she’s sharing her Genius. It’s brought extra joy and awe to my life!)
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It might appear as if I’m hating on the Zone of Excellence. I’m not.
So much of what gets done in the world emanates from the Zone of Excellence. And the truth is, many people live contented and worthwhile lives without spending significant time in their Zone of Genius.
I’m also not advocating that we work in our Zone of Genius 100% of the time. That’s not realistic, and even if it is possible, why put ourselves under that unnecessary pressure?
The invitation instead is to explore these questions:
How might you be overvaluing Excellence?
What activities are in your Zone of Genius?
How do you prioritise more Zone of Genius activities into your day to day?
How do you create/move into projects and roles where you use more of your Genius?