#50 | Superhuman high performance

"For me, high performance means achieving more than you originally thought you could."

50 degrees in the blazing sun, daily stages of 400 km on the bike. And only a few hours of sleep. The goal: up to 5000 km in 12 days. The Race Across America (RAAM) demands everything from its participants. Anyone who not only takes part in the toughest competitive race in the world, but also completes it, can say a lot about high performance, discipline and motivation. Prof. Dr. Kurt Matzler did just that in 2022 and was among the top three in his age category. The Professor of Strategic Management is one of the 20 most cited strategic thinkers in Europe. And he can call himself a solo finisher. It takes more than just motivation to achieve this. And Matzler has his very own view on this.

"Above all, you need a good why."

Because between pain, sleep deprivation and almost inhuman agony, the question of why you are doing this to yourself comes up relatively quickly. But: if you manage to see a higher purpose behind it, then you have a different motivation. Matzler speaks from experience. In an interview with Georgiy Michailov, he reveals his recipe for successful high performance. In the latest episode of SMP LeaderTalks, the two talk about why visualization, discipline and fact labeling are crucial and how routines make our lives easier.

*Video only in German