Musings at Altitude

What can cause previously high flying superstars to lose focus and appear to now be no better than mere mortal?

Sometimes nothing.

Often times high flying superstars are privileged to be in the right place at the right time with the right team to deliver more than the right results.  Because of their momentary success, they may be cheered or relentlessly or placed on that pedestal or put at the top of the “high performers list” within the company. 

But more often than not, reality returns and those out of this world numbers come back to a more typical of this world performance.  Folks that were cheering the launch phase of the rocket ship performance begin questioning the performance of the same person or the same team as they re-enter the atmosphere and start breathing that other than rarified air. 

Those that were at the top last year could very well end up near the bottom this year…and they may not have changed anything at all in the way they act or the things they do.

Perception of success can truly be fleeting, but an understanding of your legitimate role in whatever success that might have been can be the very tonic that any previously perceived superstar may need to smile in the face of the new scrutiny and set the stage for the next launch that would convert the naysayers to awe inspired champions of their cause.

In today’s world, superstars go through very extreme peaks and valleys of praise and chastisement, respectively.

But the good ones…the ones I want to be around…the ones I want as part of my team…are buckled in tight, holding on to others on that same roller coaster, cheering and smiling when going up and coming down, and already looking forward to jumping off that ride and getting on the next one as soon as they come to a stop and that particular ride is over!