If you’ve never seen the “Calypso Pass” in real life, what I’m about to write doesn’t begin to do it justice.  Picture two  Air Force F-16’s traveling over 500 mph — approximately two feet apart and with one upside down as the “mirror image” of the other!  I snapped the picture you see here last weekend in Daytona Beach of just that.  It’s a colossal understatement to say that this maneuver (and many others) during the Wings and Waves air show left me awestruck.

Traveling in sync at such blazing air speed is impossible for most of us to imagine. Countless hours of intelligent, focused and exceedingly careful practice make this possible.  While not nearly as dramatic, traveling at the speed of business today requires many of the same skills. If you don’t get it right and travel in sync with your coworkers and clients, you’re headed for a bad result. The stakes are high, but it’s exhilarating when you get it right.

Success at high speed requires talented people with lightning-quick reflexes. Next, they must possess a shared purpose (the Mission) and direction (the Vision) to safely reach the goal. Finally, they must pay relentless attention to detail. It’s people first, purpose second and details always. High performance requires precision in all things.

To perform at the highest levels in any human pursuit requires much more than showing up and going through the motions.  Orchestrated effort, careful attention and intense pursuit separate the extraordinary from the ordinary.  If you’re going to do it anyway, why not do it with both intensity and precision?  Others will notice.

Enjoy the Journey!

Note: Pictured below is a clear close-up picture of the Calypso Pass, courtesy of the U.S. Air Force.