Yes. But in a different way to what you may expect.
How do you define performance?
What does success feel like? Sound like? Look like?
There’s no textbook answer.
In fact, your definition is what matters most, not mine*. Defining these for yourself and your team lays essential groundwork for a culture or mindset shift.
Why do definitions matter so much?
When it comes to creating a performance culture, clarity is everything. You can’t monitor anything that isn’t measured, and you can’t measure anything that isn’t clearly defined. Unsurprisingly, your understanding of performance dictates how you approach change – for yourself and your people. When you anchor change to personal, actionable definitions, you find clarity, direction, and, yes, success.
Here’s what neuroscience says:
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Performance thrives in a flow state
Flow is the optimal state where focus, energy, and satisfaction align. It’s not about “working hard” but more about working in a way that feels natural and sustainable. To help your team reach this state, create an environment with clear goals, reduced distractions, and manageable challenges. Incorporate techniques like structured goal-setting, mindfulness, and regular check-ins.
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Dopamine drives success
Neuroscience shows that success is deeply connected with the brain’s reward system. Every achievement – big or small – triggers the release of dopamine, the neurotransmitter that fuels motivation. For leaders, this means celebrating wins and giving regular, constructive feedback.
When you align leadership strategies with how the brain naturally operates, you not only manage, but you inspire. Defining performance and success through this lens transforms these concepts from abstract goals into actionable pathways. And that’s how great leaders drive lasting change.
Performance isn’t about numbers
True performance has texture, beyond ticking boxes and hitting targets. It is multi- dimensional and involves effort, focus and collaboration. So: What does performance feel, sound, and look like for you?
It could feel like your heartbeat when you get a win, sound like a collaborative conversation, or look like discipline, focus and the effort that becomes excellence.
Success is deeply, profoundly personal
If performance is the effort, success is its natural partner. It could be landing a dream project, achieving balance or making it through a tough week with your sense of humour intact.
Again, what does this feel, sound and look like for you? It may feel like pride, sound like a “well done”, or look like a golden wax seal on a new certification.
When you define success on your own terms, it becomes more attainable…and a lot more meaningful.
The 10 Pillars of Performance & Success
A performance culture is built from shared principles and deliberate practices.
When I work with team leaders, I ask them to define what performance and success look, sound and feel like for them. Then, we co-create their very own 10 Pillars of Performance & Success: a blueprint that outlines their definitions, which they can ultimately share with their team members.
Let’s look at some examples of the Pillars:
1. A sense of mattering
What it means:Feeling valued and recognized for contributions is more than a “pat on the back”. Every team member wants to know their work has purpose and impact.
Example: Recognition frameworks, like “contribution mapping”, identify each person’s unique impact on a project or goal. If, for example, a team member’s behind-the-scenes data analysis paved the way for a major client win, highlight how their work was integral to the success.
2. From good to great
What it means: Good is when a client is satisfied; great is when a client is inspired to keep coming back. Deliver beyond the immediate need and create solutions that resonate on a deeper level.
Example: Imagine a team preparing a standard project report for a client. Going from good to great could involve adding predictive analytics to the report, providing actionable foresight beyond insight. This extra effort demonstrates forward-thinking value that inspires clients to see your team as indispensable partners.
3. Hero autonomy
What it means: Trusting individuals to make decisions, innovate, and take ownership of their work. When people have the freedom to experiment and contribute their perspectives, it expands their creativity and accountability.
Example: In a collaborative setting, autonomy may look like allowing a team member to spearhead a new initiative without constant oversight. For example, instead of micro-managing the development of a marketing campaign, give the team strategic goals and let them design and execute the plan. This not only enhances outcomes but also builds their leadership skills.
From definition to transformation
Culture and mindset are live entities. They’re shaped by your actions, your beliefs and, perhaps most importantly, your definitions of performance and success.
That’s why managers need to define these pillars, share them, and bring clarity to the team.
From here, the responsibility shifts to the team members, who choose what to work on and take further. This becomes the modus operandi, seamlessly integrated into personal development plans (PDPs).
With everyone on the same page and speaking the same language, the team starts to feel coherent, and others naturally want to join. The team evolves into a “brand” – a cohesive unit that sets the standard for success.
Special thanks to Willie Jackson, a visionary in marketing data and technology strategy, whose performance and success pillars were a valuable source of inspiration in this article.
*Just in case you’re curious, I’ve defined performance and success for myself, and because I have a sharing mindset, here they are. Please enjoy!
Performance, for me, is like the hyper-drive of the Star Trek Voyager – a flashing flight of super-propulsion that propels you into an entirely different space. The ignition of potential that converts what’s possible into momentum, which ultimately drives progress. Like the journey of The Little Prince, performance is embracing transformation and reaching new horizons.
I define success as going “to infinity and beyond”, like Buzz Lightyear. It’s when your starship reaches the horizon, and you realize you’re not exactly where you’re “supposed” to be, but where you’re meant to be. Success is when inspiration transforms the impossible into the possible, creating a ripple effect that leaves a legacy for others to follow.
About the author
I’m Dorothée Oung, Executive Coach and Neuroleadership Expert. I work with senior leaders and executive teams to apply neuroscience in practical, results-driven ways. My goal is to guide emerging and established Neuroleaders through deliberate, evidence-based practices that elevate how they lead, think and show up in the world.
