NLP Weekly: Precision. Practice. Trust.

NLP Weekly: Making your leadership & performance second nature.  

Performance: Precision Requires Practice

Precision is often the quiet force behind exceptional results. It’s not just about working harder—it’s about being intentional with your energy, focus, and actions.

Precision isn’t simply about skill; it’s about the intention behind each action. It's about the deliberate practice away from the moment of performance. The same principle applies to whatever field you’re in, to whatever you aspire to be better at.

Individuals who achieve the highest level of success refine their precision through preparation, and continuous improvement. Precision is a dynamic process, honed by assessing and adjusting - by getting feedback on where you need to improve most.

Now here's the thing, demonstrating your natural talent at a clutch moment of performance, does not indicate precision. It doesn't indicate long term, sustained success.

If we want to get better, if we want to achieve a sustained level of success or performance, we must be willing to practice the things we are not good at, things that don't come naturally.

This can be, and often is, a simple element of our overall performance. Something most others won't notice. Practicing it is definitely something the majority won't do.

Ask yourself: What's something I am trying to get better at? Where do I want better results?

Now ask yourself: What am I avoiding that could lead to outcome I want? What element comes most unnatural? What's trickiest for me? Who could be a critical eye for me to see something I might be missing? (This is most often a coach...)

Practice that. Gain precision.

Leadership: The Precision of Leadership

Great leaders don’t lead everyone the same way—they master context, ask questions, motivationally interview - they adapt.

Every person and team is unique. Some thrive on clear direction and structure, while others flourish with creative freedom and flexibility. Precision in leadership means understanding individual nuances and adapting your style to meet people where they are with an awareness and ambition for where they can go. It’s about asking yourself, “How do I conduct an atmosphere of success?”

This level of precision requires genuine interest in the human you are leading, understanding what motivates them, knowing what they are capable of (even if they don't), being open to feedback and getting it wrong sometimes.

Your overall leadership approach may be that you are compassionate, communicate meaningfully, form a vision for the future, build trust and display self-regard and awareness.

Communicating meaningfully is often the most difficult, where we need to be most precise: using the right words, tone, and timing to inspire and guide - all members of the team.

Consider how you might lead with more precision. Look at your team members and ask: What motivates each one? What challenges them? What support do they need most? 

If you don't know, ask them. 

Nature: Chop Wood. Carry Through Water.

There are beavers everywhere I live. Many locals have no clue and never see them. But trust me, they are everywhere.

Beavers are master engineers of the natural world, and their precision is remarkable. For the past couple of weeks I have been watching the progress a beaver has been making on a tree that stands at least 75 feet high. At one point, I started to get concerned about the possibility of that tree falling on the trail.

Then I realized something. The chance of that tree falling on the trail was... zero. Absolutely 0%.

Why?

Looking to the left and the right of the tree I noticed several others that have been successfully, safely cut down. In fact, each tree fell in the exact opposite direction of the trail.

When they cut down trees to build dams, they don’t hack away randomly. They gnaw at precise angles, ensuring the tree falls exactly where they need it. This meticulous process is critical for creating the stable structures that shape their ecosystem.

The beaver’s precision reminds us of the importance of focus and intentionality. Nature doesn’t waste effort, and neither should we. By being deliberate in how we approach our work, relationships, and goals, we can build something meaningful and lasting.

Where would you benefit from applying less effort and more precision? Where have you consistently demonstrated an ability to execute that you need to trust yourself more?

Practice where you're weakest. 

Ask how you can improve.

Bring precision.

-Graham