“Force-multiplier” is a new phrase for me, how about you?

Dr Richard Wardrop III, Chair of the Internal Medicine Board of the American Board of Internal Medicine, recently used the phrase to describe our work together.

And I rather like it.

I rather like it, not simply because it was lovely to hear — although I’m not going to pretend the source didn’t make me sit up a little straighter.

But because it describes something I’ve seen for decades, from NHL dressing rooms to operating rooms and boardrooms.

The best performers are rarely short of ability. They already know what to do. They’ve trained for it. Studied it. Practised it. Repeated it. Often thousands of times.

And then pressure arrives and decides to be helpful. You start thinking about something that normally happens automatically. You second-guess the decision. You grip. You try harder. You become acutely aware of the outcome.

And suddenly, you're interfering with the very ability you're trying so hard to access.

It’s why I’ve never been terribly interested in simply giving high performers more. More information. More instructions. More things to remember. More pressure to perform.

Sometimes the greatest improvement comes from taking something away.

The noise. The doubt. The interference.

Because when that quietens, something rather interesting happens.

What was there all along becomes available again.

That’s why Richard’s phrase stayed with me.

A force-multiplier doesn’t create the force. It allows you to get more from the force you already have.

And whether the next moment involves a puck, a patient, a difficult conversation or a decision that affects an entire organization, the principle is remarkably similar.

You don't suddenly need to become more talented when the pressure rises. You need access to your best.

So perhaps the useful question this week isn't: What do I need to get better at?

It’s: What gets in the way of my best?

That answer may tell you rather more,

Izzy

Isabelle Hampton-Stone, M.Sc.
Olympic & NHL Leadership and Performance Coach

Trusted by NHL Players, Olympians,
Surgeons, Dental Leaders,
Executives and Business Owners

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