The Counterintuitive Tactic to Breaking World Records

Coming up in today’s edition:

1. One quick win: to achieve your hardest goals

2. One proven system: six thinking hats technique for brainstorming

3. One million-dollar question: that will challenge your belief system

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1. THE SURPRISING TACTIC ROGER BANNISTER USED TO BREAK THE 4-MINUTE MILE

In May 1954, British track star Roger Bannister attempted something that had never been done before…

Running a mile in under four minutes.

In the 1950s, this feat was comparable to Kipchoge breaking the 2-hour marathon - the most prestigious running event.

As the record stood for almost a decade, the running community became obsessed with breaking the 4-minute barrier.

The best runners from around the world declared they would complete it but without fail, they all came up short.

4.03, 4.02, 4.04. 4.01…

Psychologists and physicians started to doubt if it was even possible.

Bannister was one of the runners that had come within seconds of breaking the record.

Two weeks before the 1954 race, he made what seemed like a questionable decision to abandon his training.

He drove to the mountains in Scotland with some of his closest friends to hike and climb mountains.

They completely checked out from running psychologically and physically - a very different type of fitness training than the 400m interval training on the track 😂

Upon returning to England, he shocked the running community by taking 3 more rest days to let his body recuperate from the months of training he’d endured before the Scotland trip.

With just a few days before the big race, he got back on the track for a few shot workouts to tune up his body.

The result on the day?

He broke one of the greatest barriers in human history.

In a world that glorifies the grind, hustling, and pushing to the extremes… it takes courage to rest.

By reframing rest as something that supports growth rather than something considered as “passive” or “not training”, you can perform better than ever before.

Don’t view these as “easy” or “off” days, but more as “supporting sessions”.

To reap the benefits of stress, you need rest.

Although Bannister’s escape to the woods may seem extreme, you can apply this next time you hit a wall or are working on a strenuous mental task.

Don’t sit and stare at your laptop. Step away for at least 5 minutes.

The more strenuous the task, the longer the break should be.

It is only when we stop forcing ourselves to finish a task or come up with a solution, that our conscious mind fades into the background and our subconscious mind takes over.

The subconscious mind works differently, enabling us to pull information from different parts of our brain that are inaccessible when we’re consciously working on something.

Our most profound ideas or aha moments (think about those shower thoughts), tend to come from the small spaces when we stop our deliberate thinking and our brains are at rest.

Researchers found that despite us spending the vast majority of our time at work in effortful thought, over 40% of our best creative ideas manifest during rest.

Next time you are struggling to achieve a big goal like Bannister or can’t find a solution to a problem at work, refocus on rest.

2. THE SIX THINKING HATS TO UNLOCK TEAM PROBLEMS

The six thinking hats technique was developed by Edward de Bono to help teams come up with better solutions to the problems they are facing at work.

Why it has been a game-changer every time I’ve used it in group situations?

• Fosters creativity

• Improves decision-making

• Minimises conflict

Here’s an overview of each hat and the benefits of using this method in a team environment:

1. White Hat (Information/Facts): Focuses on objective data, facts, and figures. The goal is to gather information without emotion or interpretation.

2. Red Hat (Emotions/Feelings): Encourages intuition and feelings. This hat allows people to share their gut reactions and emotional responses without needing to justify them.

3. Black Hat (Judgement/Caution): Involves identifying potential risks, flaws, and drawbacks. This hat ensures critical evaluation and highlights obstacles.

4. Yellow Hat (Positivity/Optimism): Promotes a positive view, exploring benefits and value. This hat helps find opportunities and highlight best-case scenarios.

5. Green Hat (Creativity/Ideas): Focuses on creativity and brainstorming. Here, the team explores alternative solutions, innovation, and new ideas.

6. Blue Hat (Analysis/Process): Represents control and management of the thinking process itself, often worn by the facilitator to ensure the process stays on track.

The method sets clear “thinking modes,” helping team members focus on a single mindset at a time, which reduces emotional conflicts and miscommunication.

Research shows diverse thinking styles improve team innovation and accuracy in decision-making, potentially increasing performance by up to 20-30%.

The Green Hat, in particular, creates a safe space for free-form ideas and experimentation, which is essential for breakthrough thinking.

Here are 5x scenarios where you can use this tactic to improve team performance:

1. Problem-Solving Sessions:

   Leaders can guide teams through the Six Thinking Hats when tackling complex issues or making high-stakes decisions. This ensures balanced, well-rounded input from all team members.

2. Strategic Planning:

   Applying each hat to different strategic options can clarify pros and cons, identifying risks, benefits, and potential innovations that might otherwise be overlooked.

3. Project Postmortems:

   Leaders can use the Six Hats to structure performance reviews, focusing on data, feedback, areas for improvement, and ways to innovate in the next phase. If you missed the edition on the Navy SEALs approach to after action review - you can read more about it here.

4. Brainstorming and Innovation Sessions:

   Allow the Green Hat to take centre stage to push for creativity without judgment, then balance with Black and Yellow Hats to refine and evaluate ideas before implementation.

5. Regular Team Check-Ins (Use the Blue Hat):

   Leaders can wear the Blue Hat to steer discussions, ensuring that team sessions remain focused, productive, and aligned with the organisation’s goals.

3. WHAT BELIEFS NO LONGER SERVE ME?

I asked this very question with some close friends and the answers told us a lot.

Our oldest beliefs are often the ones that hold us back the most.

Take time this week to question them.

Here are some for inspiration from some familiar faces:

1. Oprah Winfrey also initially focused on financial stability and fame but now emphasises purpose and legacy, stressing that her success lies in helping others and using her platform for social good.

2. Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, began his career with a more traditional, authoritative leadership style but challenged that belief and now focuses on empathetic leadership.

3. Ariana Huffington, co-founder of The Huffington Post, believed in the “hustle culture” that prioritised working relentlessly. However, after a severe burnout incident, she shifted to advocating for balance, well-being, and sleep, realising that burnout can be counterproductive.

4. Sheryl Sandberg, former COO of Facebook, used to focus heavily on perfection, but over time, she has shared the value of “done is better than perfect,” realising that excessive perfectionism can hinder progress and innovation.

How would your life change if your old beliefs changed too?

Don’t be trapped like the ant.

Break free of the self-imposed lines that may be holding you back from achieving your biggest achievements yet.

What old beliefs can you challenge this week?

MY TOP FINDS OF THE WEEK 🔍

For your performance:

• Adam Grant 🗣️ An interesting take on one thing that might be holding you back from achieving your goals (Link)

For your team:

• Peter Kenyon 🗣️ How Man United built a winning culture systematically (Link)

For your health:

• An awesome thread on the science of sleep and practical steps on how to turn it into a personal performance enhancer (Link)

Hope you enjoyed this week’s tactics. I’ll be back next Sunday with a new lineup 👋 - Alex 

P.S. Did you get something useful from this email? Do me a solid by sharing this link with 1 newsletter pal… 🙏

P.P.S. If you want some one-on-one time to apply some of the concepts to specific challenges you are having with your own team, please get in touch.