Excellence Redefined: Best for the World & Best In the World

A distillation of the best definitions of Excellence from various sources available, paraphrased, reads: “An ongoing process of relentless research & development, adaptation & anticipation resulting in achievement of unsurpassed quality & acknowledged Best status”.

But Best is at best temporary since nothing lasts forever. So how do you define Best?

The recent Rugby World Cup (RWC) 2011 enjoyed by multitudes across the globe was irrefutably a CELEBRATION of Excellence in rugby. Along the way, the minnows stretched to reach greater heights, some proving they are worthy to play alongside the giants on the world stage. When the last final whistle blew to signal the crowning of the new World Champions rugby aficionados rejoiced because the team which has consistently been Best FOR the World (BfW) was finally also the Best IN the World (BiW). The All Blacks team have always exemplified modesty, forthrightness, respect for opponents, fair play, commitment to excellence on the field demonstrated by their athleticism, superior technical skills, innovative set pieces, individual brilliance, discipline, courage & fortitude. Over the years New Zealand has been in the forefront of rugby development, has the best Test record of all teams, and in RWC 2011 offered 47 of their sons to the other teams in some coaching capacity or other. Truly Best for the World.

There are lessons here for leaders and the led, and indeed for every individual in different contexts. Do we only want to be the best in the world or should we strive to be the best for the world as well. Are they mutually exclusive? Is it possible to be best for the world while striving to be best in the world? How we fare in terms of BiW is clearer since the measurements are more defined by awards (trophies, titles), achievement (marks, degrees, sales targets & profits), attainment (position, office) & assets accumulated (5Cs). But how do we measure BfW?

The following discourse is intended as a Work in Progress offered as a starter to elicit refinement and edit by the reader for his or her own edification, development & growth.

RWC 2011 as a sporting analogy reminds us, adults have to unlearn & relearn what life is really about, in order to live intentionally & meaningfully, and model it for the next generation. To set them up with a values based skeletal framework so they can flesh the bones as they match current experience with shared wisdom & discover the meaning of resilience, success, failure, altruism, noble goals & the pursuit of them through the lens of the full spectrum of human emotions.

Since we all exist in community, it behoves each one of us to constantly learn & grow, and put all of the learning not just into being better at our jobs to earn more, but also how our personal & professional effectiveness adds to civilization and a better quality of life for everyone, although the reach of each person is finite and different.

It is more obvious in the case of the research scientist in the lab, but the cab driver on his part, can learn to be more informed & a better conversationalist to connect with his passengers so he can de-stress while driving and learn things he would not otherwise discover, and at the same time do his bit for tourism by offering an objective view of life in Singapore!

In other words understanding our self-image (who we are beyond our job title), our self-worth (value to society), our self-efficacy (our realistic perception of what we can do & the will to do it), our self-esteem (our realistic perception of how others see us – tied obviously to the preceeding three points) & our self-actualisation (purpose, passion, reason for being, beyond self).

Beyond the peripheral nice to have “enrichment” talks and courses, what is needed is a major shift in mindset, focus and model in the way we learn and apply the learning as a lifestyle habit, to make our lives count. This involves revisiting one’s identity (heritage, chosen allegiance, what our existence is about), values (universal, family, group & personal), vision, mission, filters (eg patterns of needs, fears, attitudes & expectations) which impact our BEING, while re-evaluating our other lifeskills like emotional intelligence, coachability & coaching skills, communication & connectivity that impact our DOING. Being equipped, enabled & empowered impacts one’s personal effectiveness, family, social & professional lives & potential for success.

For parents it means enhancing your capacity to model & create a learning environment at home for social emotional learning & the discovery of values in action. For leaders at work in every sector & industry, it means impacting authentic Corporate Social Responsibility, rethinking existing concepts of product, service, accountability to stakeholders, governance & ethical marketing practices.

Back to the question “How do we measure BfW?”. Perhaps the BfW Quotient can include factors such as inconspicuous generosity of spirit manifested in the giving of time & effort towards a worthy cause not evaluated quantitatively, for no reward & where the outcome may even be beyond one’s lifetime (ie the opposite of instant gratification & the expectation of reward financial, influence or patronage), authentic and unadulterated personal & corporate social responsibility & a global vision & mission for service, learning & ambassadorship of worthy causes using one’s resources (SIF today provides opportunities for volunteers at no cost).

Lest this be misunderstood BfW is not an accolade to be accorded anyone through an award replete with publicity & possibly some residual benefit. The reward accrues to the giver through the satisfaction of helping someone, the fulfillment of using one’s potential for the wider good, the spiritual contentment of leaving tangible reward out of the equation while knowing that you have contributed to the relief of someone else’s pain or development opportunity & brought hope to an existence that can become a life.

This alternative perspective to conventional wisdom on the path to success & happiness, provides the framework for the pursuit of being the Best for the World while in the process of working towards being the Best in the World. Some may argue this sounds too unreal, but recent global events  reflect a world-wide recognition of the need to redress capitalism gone awry & the desire for a return to a more balanced egalitarianism. Not to mention a dose of some good old fashioned values like thrift & commensurate reward for true value across strata of an organization and society.

These could be prophetic words which form part of a sustainable solution for the social ills of a cynical world we are a part of. A sustainable solution which recognizes that when one takes out more from the system than one needs or deserves others suffer lack, that “beyond self” is not stupid nor naïve, that gratification takes many forms the highest of which is not about self, and that ultimately there is a divinely appointed order which cannot be tampered with because Man was created to live in community looking out for one another. Alongside any primary motivation, the pursuit of excellence must never threaten that order but preserve it.