Habits, Culture and the Psychology of High Performance
Are elite habits just for individuals — or can they shape the way whole organisations perform?
This week, I came across the work of high-performance coach James Laughlin, whose book Habits of High Performers outlines six core practices that distinguish elite individuals. At first glance, these habits are about personal success. But look closer, and you’ll see clear parallels with what research tells us about high-performing cultures.
The Six Habits of High Performers (James Laughlin)
Get Radically Clear – on goals, direction, and values.
Be Full of BS – recognise and reframe limiting belief systems about success, failure, money, and happiness.
Live Your Life on Purpose – align daily actions with meaningful intent.
Multiply the Motivation – manage sleep, diet, exercise, and mindset to sustain performance.
Focus on Priorities – concentrate on what truly moves the dial.
Do the Work – resist shortcuts; consistency beats quick fixes.
These habits may sound like self-help tips, but they mirror what organisations need if they want to perform at their best.
What Research Says About High-Performance Cultures
Spoiler alert - cultures aren’t built on slogans. They are shaped by the same disciplined habits that drive individuals.
Clarity & Purpose: research by the UK RAND organisation shows that elite teams and units succeed because they share clear, embedded goals and values.
Challenge Assumptions: High-performing organisations invite debate and question the “way things have always been done” — echoing Laughlin’s call to confront limiting beliefs.
Psychological Safety: The term 'psychological safety' was coined by the psychologist and psychotherapist Carl Rogers in the 1950s in the context of establishing the conditions necessary to foster an individual's creativity. It is has taken this long for this term let alone the core philosophy to be properly embedded in forward thinking organisations. More recent research (eg Harvard Business School’s Amy Edmondson’s 2019 The Fearless Organisation) has proven that cultures where people feel safe to speak up without fear are the ones that innovate and sustain performance.
Energy, Trust & Diversity: Lynda Gratton , a British organisational psychologist and Professor of Management Practice at London Business School, highlights in her research that the most productive teams are fuelled by trust, a unifying “igniting question,” and diverse perspectives.
Two Sides of the Same Coin
| Individual Habit | Organisational Parallel |
|---|---|
| Radical clarity | Shared goals and purpose embedded in day-to-day decisions |
| Belief-system awareness (challenge assumptions) | Curiosity and constructive challenge of legacy practices |
| Live on purpose | Mission that energises identity, behaviours, and priorities |
| Multiply motivation (sleep, diet, exercise, mindset) | Wellbeing systems and sustainable rhythms that protect performance |
| Focus on priorities | Clear strategic focus and disciplined resource allocation |
| Do the work (no shortcuts) | Accountability, follow-through, and learning after action |
Final Thought
High performance isn’t just about individuals working harder. It’s about habits - repeated mindsets and behaviours - scaling up into cultures.
So here’s the question to reflect on:
If your team adopted just one “high performer” habit, which would it be - and how might it transform your culture?