About
the Success Factors
The four Success Factors detailed in How Lance Does It offer a compelling alternative to the superficial and inaccurate assumptions that are often touted as the reasons for Lance’s success. Lance's superstardom is not a result of mysterious, unexplainable gifts or purely genetic traits, but by a refined pattern of thinking and living. Gaining a clear understanding of these Success Factors will help motivate and inspire you to implement them into your own life.
This is the first time any published material will go beyond sound bites and empty platitudes to actually analyze, quantify and provide tangible guidance to help you emulate the magnificent example set by Lance. We’ve heard the dramatic messages over and over: “Cancer made Lance tougher than his opponents”; “Others want to win, Lance has to win”; “Lance never had a dad so he constantly has a burning desire to prove himself”. These messages have high presentation value but invariably lack substance or valid explanation. I have had the good fortune to be deeply and directly influenced by Lance’s positive attitude, comportment in daily life and his approach to athletics. As one of the few who write and have competed at the elite level of professional athletics, the challenge of bringing the success factors of a champion to paper has fascinated me for years.
Sure, the performances of great champions will always remain somewhat mysterious and magical. Anyone who has struggled up a mountain on their bike or tried to hit a golf ball onto a small green 200 yards away will forever marvel at how easy the great ones make it look. My goal with How Lance Does It is to enable you to evolve from shaking your head at the performances of Lance (and other great champions) to nodding your head – feeling a little more connected to the magic of peak performance and how to implement some powerful secrets into your own peak performance pursuits.
1. Clarity of Purpose
Lance believed deeply that the highest expression of his talent as a human being and greatest impact on he could have on society was to be a champion in his sport of destiny. This was his all-consuming life purpose, pursued at an intensity unimaginable to the average person or even most of his competition. Without this clarity of purpose, he would have not have made it or stayed at the top for any length of time - the sacrifice is too intense to pursue and maintain dominance.
When one has Clarity of Purpose, the prime motivator is love of the activity and the lifestyle. With this the primary motivator, Lance was able to maintain a healthy perspective about his athletic career. He didn’t equate results with self-esteem. He possessed a higher purpose than just winning – motivating and inspiring millions and serving as a role model for sportsmanship, dedication and commitment – particularly to the cancer community. Feeling this higher purpose becomes a source of power when faced with challenging circumstances. Rather than choke or withdraw under pressure, he felt the freedom to give his best effort.
Having a clear and holistic purpose for competing is the key to maintaining extremely high motivation levels, even after tremendous success makes superficial motivators like wealth and glory an afterthought.
2. Congruent Lifestyle
Lance was willing to do whatever it took to realize his clear purpose of athletic greatness. He created a lifestyle ideally suited to achieving his goals, understanding the importance of balance, sacrifice, patience and decision-making uncluttered by distraction or superficial motivators.
Because Lance’s celebrity extends beyond cycling, demands on his time and energy were unlike any of his peers. With boundless opportunities for personal appearances and other business ventures outside of his sport, Lance repeatedly faced this litmus test of his true purpose for competing. The fact that he was always ready come July for the Tour is a testament to his ability to delay instant gratification in favor of long-term goals.
Other athletes, while passionate, intense and focused like a champion in the heat of competition (it’s hard to imagine not having the motivation to compete in front of thousands at the Tour, the Olympics, etc.), tend to waver on the day-to-day commitment required to ascend to an even higher level.
Tremendous daily sacrifice is required to prepare for peak performance in any arena, especially in a world full of temptations and distractions that can pull even the most devoted away from the narrow focus required to attain long-term goals. It is the quiet, unpublicized differences in daily lifestyle characteristics - overcoming personal frailties like ego demands, insecurity, attention span challenges, unhealthy habits and choices - that separate a champion from others in the pack.
Someone with a fragile psyche can easily shy away from the increased commitment and devotion required to overcome failure. Distractions like technology and consumerism can help distance one from the pain of facing his or her personal shortcomings and committing to doing whatever it takes to reach the next performance level. Success can also cause someone to go south. With superficial desires quenched, motivation wanes and they fall victim to the temptations of excess.
As Lance has stated repeatedly, he absolutely loved all aspects of his lifestyle such that perceived sacrifices are natural, enjoyable lifestyle elements. Even the challenges of celebrity are accepted and handled in a productive manner rather than resented.
3. Specialized Intelligence
Lance exhibited a highly specialized and refined form of intelligence perfectly suited to his specific vocation as a cyclist. This is not to be confused with general intelligence as measured by IQ, something that is a helpful pre-requisite for success in any arena, but only scratching the surface of a champions level of sophistication.
Lance's Specialized Intelligence as a cyclist manifested in many ways. First, he was able to assimilate failure, learning from mistakes to become better. Lesser performers live a life filled with repeated mistakes and no behavior modification.
Second, Lance had a highly refined intuitive sense that allows him to make the best decisions in training, competition and life. Modern athletic training theories are sophisticated and scientific, yet the human element remains the most important. While Lance was among the most disciplined and structured athletes in the world, he is still a human being with feelings and frailties that impact training decisions and fitness progress.
Lance intuitively knew when to push, when to back off and how to maximize the potential benefits of expert coaching and all other guidance and direction he receives. Since every lifestyle element must be optimum to be truly dominant, this intuitive decision-making ability extended all the way to which competitions to enter, which sponsors, coaches, training partners and business associates to work with, what equipment to use and where to live. Lance trusts his intuitive sense above everything else so that he is not vulnerable to manipulation from outside influences, insecurity or self-doubt.
Third, Lance has a complete understanding of all aspects of his sport, the elements required for peak performance and his role in society as a high-profile athletic superstar. Athletic competition is by nature dynamic – every competition is different and requires a different approach to succeed. Lance is intelligent enough to choose the route through the maze that leads to the cheese far more often than his competition.
We all are faced with an endless succession of everyday decisions that dictate our destiny. Choices in career and relationships, what to say and do everyday – all of these decisions shape who we are and whether we succeed or struggle.
It takes an extraordinary level of highly specialized intelligence to make all the right decisions, to habitually place oneself in the right place at the right time so as to have unwavering ‘good luck’, to constantly observe where one stands in the big picture and where to head, to avoid temptations of the ego and the distractions that disrupt focus on long term goals. This is Lance’s life in a nutshell, making him the best imaginable role model for everyone.
4. Pure Confidence
Confidence is a curious concept because it is only evident when tested under extreme pressure. If you define confidence as a belief in ones ability to perform, the belief can only be validated in the competitive arena. Contrary to popular myth, confidence cannot be bought or conjured with mental drills, visualization techniques or positive affirmations. The highly trained and well-prepared athlete may believe he is confident, only to be fooled when called upon to perform under pressure.
Lance developed deep-rooted confidence from repeated exposure to high-pressure competitive situations. Early is his career, many characterized Lance’s attitude as cocky or immature. This confusion stems from the fact that it is difficult for most people to comprehend Pure Confidence. Through a distorted lens, they labeled Lance’s statements and behavior as brash. While it is true Lance has toned down some of his act as he has matured, the Pure Confidence that was there from the beginning still manifests itself in everything Lance says and does.
When Lance experiences a positive outcome, this validates his purpose, preparation methods and confidence. When he experiences a negative outcome, he possesses the esteemed ability to assimilate the lesson in a positive manner – into a learning experience that will help him improve in the future. The net effect is that the intensity of high-level competition – win or lose – nurtures his confidence. Confidence that transcends competitive results can be described as pure confidence.
Pure confidence allowed Lance to perform at peak level regardless of external variables (weather, venue, opponent or the magnitude of the competition). In contrast, many athletes possess confidence that is situational – vulnerable when the pressure increases, opponents perform unexpectedly, weather gets bad or any number of unforeseen distractions occurs.
With Pure Confidence, Lance is pro-active under pressure. He is able to control his emotions and behavior, sticking to his personal routine, tempo and game plan regardless of whether he’s ahead or behind, in the Tour de France or in a casual competition. With situational confidence, an athlete is reactive under pressure, letting an opponent or crowd get in their heads, altering their routine or allowing negative thoughts to affect their performance. Any of these inevitably lead to an undesirable outcome.
|
![](/images/arrow_white.gif"){kind=icon}
![](/arrow_white.gif"){kind=icon}
