9 Characteristics Of High Performers

Getting ahead. Winning the race. Earning the highest income. All of that is possible when you become a top performer.

Psychologists, business experts and scientists have studied top performers extensively. Discover what they have learned about high performers - again and again, it comes down to the same habits, drives and attitudes.

1. They Put In The Work, Day After Day

Becoming a high performer takes significant effort. There's no away around putting in the work. Consider the practice habits of many elite athletes for example. Fox News found that many top athletes put in training time immediately after major games - to lock in the improvement gains from the off-season.

Gaining from education and better techniques help but there is no substitute for showing up to put in the work. If you want to know more about this concept, read Do The Work by Steven Pressfield.

2. They Work At Learning Their Craft From Others

In his book Mastery, Robert Greene finds that most high performers in history (and in our time) work with mentors to develop their skills. British scientist Michael Faraday worked as a lab assistant to leading chemist Humphry Davy for years before he achieved prominence. Greene finds the same pattern at play with artists, entrepreneurs and many other masters. Learning from other high performers is one of the best ways to make progress.

3. They Get Feedback On Their Performance

The Harvard Business Review found 50% of high performers expect to meet with their manager at least once per month to discuss their performance reports . Feedback makes it easier to get better. Without feedback, top performers would be reduced to guessing about their results - that's no way to get to the top.

4. They Look For Opportunities To Learn And Grow With Every Assignment

When taking on new assignments and activities, high performers ask what they are going to learn from the experience. For example, a top software developer may be excited about the opportunity to work on a new technology. What if they don't get the learning they need to grow? Before long, they look for new opportunities.

Top performers rarely stay bored and unchallenged at work for long. So, follow this action tip: Think about the past three new assignments you did at work. How did you learn and grow from those efforts? If you're not seeing growth, consider asking for insight and new projects from your manager.

5. They Demand Top Compensation For Top Performance

Top performers have no qualms about asking for salary increases, bonus payments and other compensation as a result of their outstanding contributions and results. If their top results are not rewarded, top performers are ready to look elsewhere.

6. They Direct Their Own Learning

High performers understand the central importance of lifelong learning to career advancement. While they certainly take advantage of employer provided learning programs, they do not limit themselves to those options. Top performers take night classes, go to seminars, participate actively in conferences and read in their field.

7. Top Performers Are Highly Productive

A recent study found that top perfomers deliver 400% higher productivity than an average performer. They increase their productivity with a combination of strategies: choosing to work on high impact projects, improving their skills and consistently using a proven productivity system such as Getting Things Done. Productivity is a set of habits and ideas that are mastered over time.

8. They Know When To Say No At The Office

Becoming a jack of all trades does not lead to top performance. While the very best accept new assignments for growth (see #4 above), there are limits to this point. Learning how to say no is an important professional skill. High performers understand that they know it is up to them to manage their work responsibilities effectively. So learn how to set boundaries and how to say no nicely.

9. They Value Their Health and Fitness

High performers understand that long hours at the office are needed from time to time. However, they know that cutting corners on sleep and exercise is not a smart strategy. In fact, British entrepreneur and billionaire Richard Branson finds that exercise improves his productivity substantially. Branson's exercise habit gives him at least four additional hours of productive time every day according to an interview he gave in The Four Hour Body by Tim Ferriss.