BR#15: From Great to Exceptional

This week, I’m focusing on Creativity with thoughts on making the leap from great to exceptional:

Theatre in the West End or Broadway, food at a Michelin-starred restaurant, a concert by a world-class performer or an orchestra... they all have two things in common:

First, they deliver on their craft perfectly. That's a given. Every detail you can think of, and perhaps several details you may not, are treated with obsessive care and attention.

Second, and very importantly, they deliver a perfect experience in a way that is uniquely their own, that is easy to distinguish from everything else.

I love those kinds of experiences. Not only because they feel amazing in the moment, but because I always come out of them feeling like I've just learned something new. Something that, if applied with even just 1% of the skill I've experienced, will make my work better and help me deliver a better experience for the people that my work serves.

Making the leap from great to exceptional starts to feel a lot more doable when you begin to understand what it is that exceptional people do differently.

And a great way to learn that is by signing yourself up for those kinds of experiences and taking notes.

I'm not going to cook or sing for an audience (thankfully). But I can very much be inspired by an incredible experience, by its unique and unexpected qualities and by impeccable service, to write down what I loved about it all and then apply similar principles in my own work. 

P.S. Do you have feedback about this newsletter or how I could make it better? I’d love to hear it! Feel free to message me on LinkedIn or email to tell me more.