Managing Your Peak Leadership Performance: Phase Potentiation for Business
Do you want a long, successful career or do you want to run hot and burn out fast? I know which one I want!
As leaders, it’s important to set ourselves up for sustainable success that builds on itself over time. A big part of that is pacing ourselves. Long term success is a marathon, not a sprint. Knowing when to push and when to stay patient is an invaluable skill in your leadership toolkit.
Powerlifters have their own jargon for this concept: they call it “phase potentiation.” Sounds fancy right? In simple terms, it means doing what you can right now to set yourself up for something big in the future. It’s about peaking at just the right time in the weight room, i.e. during competition.
Hitting this peak requires careful planning and management of accumulation and deloading phases. Weightlifting programs alternate between these phases and stretch for months and even years. During an accumulation phase, you push your ability and gain strength by adding more weight. During deloading phases, you reset to a slightly lower weight to let yourself adapt to your new top end. Rinse and repeat.
When preparing for competition, weightlifters program a one-to-two-week deload phase. With less weight on the bar, they’ll focus on form and technique so they’re well-rested. Then, with fresh muscles, they’re ready to hit their peak performance when it matters most.
Some gym goers overlook the importance of gradual, incremental improvements. Or, worse, they knowingly blow past them by lifting to the point of failure—i.e. as much as they possibly can every time until they can’t lift anymore. These meathead bros are more susceptible to getting seriously injured and taking themselves out of the game. (Not to mention looking like idiots.)
Similarly, lots of leaders burn themselves out because they’re pushing themselves to the max all the time. They’re going all out every day. They’re skipping rest—and undermining their own potential for growth.
“Rise and grind” is a common refrain in business and at the gym. My response? “Yes!” and “At the right times!”
Hard work is important, but don’t stop there. It’s only part of the equation. It’s just as important to know when to back off and give yourself some active and intentional rest. “Rest” isn’t unproductive. In fact, it’s key to the longevity of your career.
Think about what else you have going on. Maybe you’ve got a big project or you’re going back to school. Maybe you’ve been covering for another role or you’ve had a crazy week.
Do yourself a favor: actively do “nothing.” Take a long weekend. Take a walk. Turn off your phone. Read a book (any book counts).
Look ahead, too. Do you have a big month coming up? Is the end of the quarter coming up? Plan to ramp up—and to ramp down.
Ask yourself: are you setting yourself up well for future success? Are you alternating between pushing hard and recharging when you need to? What should you do right now to hit your peak when you need it? How can you be smart in the long term? Are you doing the right thing now to set yourself up for what comes next?
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About The Author
Emily Sander is an ICF-certified leadership coach with more than 15 years of experience in the business world and the author of Hacking Executive Leadership. She’s been featured in several print publications, online articles, and podcasts, including CEO Today Magazine, Leading to Fulfillment, and Leadership Powered by Common Sense.
Emily has a passion for helping business leaders reach their full potential. Go here to read her story from seasoned executive to knowledgeable coach. If you want to send Emily a quick message, then visit her contact page here.