Developing “High Performance Habits” with Brendon Burchard

In a fast-changing business environment, CEOs are expected to deliver clarity, make high-stakes decisions and guide their teams through uncertainty. The challenge goes beyond managing change; it’s continuing to grow as a leader while doing so.

Developing high-performance habits is often what separates leaders who simply react to change from those who lead through it.

In an exclusive presentation to the Vistage community, high-performance expert and bestselling author Brendon Burchard shared insights on how leaders build the mindset and playbook that drive sustained success. Drawing from research and his book, “High Performance Habits,” Burchard revealed the tools that can help CEOs rise above the noise.  

In the clips below, Burchard explores 3 ideas that resonate with leaders navigating today’s business landscape: building capabilities, raising standards through accountability, and recognizing moments of disruption as opportunities to lead.

High Performance Is a Habit

Many leaders believe high performance comes from playing to their strengths. Burchard offers a different perspective.

In his research and coaching work, top performers didn’t report spending more time on their strengths than others did. Instead, they approached their role with a different mindset. Rather than asking, “What am I naturally good at?” they asked, “What’s required of me to be of service here?”

That shift reframes leadership. High performers don’t simply rely on their existing capabilities — they expand them. They grow into what the moment demands of their teams, their organizations, and the challenges before them. Over time, those behaviors compound into the high- performance habits that define effective leadership.

Watch the clip to see Burchard explain why high performance is less about talent and more about building the habits that enable leaders to serve at a higher level.

Challenge How You Show Up

The mentors and coaches who shape leaders most don’t just offer encouragement — they challenge them to grow.

Burchard describes 3 levers that help unlock leadership development: character, connection and contribution. Great coaching conversations often touch all three. Leaders are challenged on how they show up, how they build relationships, and whether they are delivering their very best work.

When those areas are addressed together, growth accelerates, Burchard says. Standards rise, relationships strengthen, and leaders begin to create greater impact within their organizations.

Watch the clip to see Burchard explain the 3 coaching levers that help leaders raise their standards and expand their influence.

This Is Your Moment

Periods of disruption often create uncertainty. They also create a greater need for leadership — and for the coaches who help leaders navigate it.

In this clip, Burchard points to the rapid changes reshaping the business landscape — including the acceleration of artificial intelligence — as a moment when executive coaches can play a critical role. As CEOs and business leaders work to understand what’s coming next, they increasingly rely on trusted advisors who can help them interpret signals, ask better questions and gain clarity.

For Vistage Chairs, moments like this highlight the impact of great coaching. By helping leaders stay curious, understand emerging trends and think more strategically about the future, Chairs provide the perspective CEOs need most in uncertain times.

Watch the clip to see why Burchard believes coaches and mentors have been preparing their entire careers for moments like this.

Keep the Conversation Going

Developing as a leader doesn’t happen in isolation. The most effective CEOs seek out perspectives that challenge their thinking and help them grow — often by building new high-performance habits that improve how they lead their organizations.

Revisit the clips above and reflect on the ideas that resonate most with your leadership journey. If you’d like to go deeper, you can also watch Brendon Burchard’s full presentation, along with additional modules and discussion guides designed to spark meaningful conversations. (My Vistage login required)

If you’re a CEO, business owner or executive looking for greater perspective, accountability and support, consider joining Vistage. Through confidential peer advisory groups and expert executive coaching, Vistage helps leaders make better decisions and lead their organizations with greater confidence.

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