Book Review: Spotlight on Performance: Executive Inspiration, Volume II by Christian Marcolli 

What is high performance? It’s the difference between competence to brilliance. It’s leadership that inspires teams to excel — whether a sports team or a business team. It’s a level of output and acumen that supports continued, long-term success. But it’s also seen as a lonely road, as if winning in the boardroom or on the playing field requires sacrificing personal life, work/life balance, and overall happiness. It’s a myth too many high achievers ascribe to, and it costs dearly — personally, but also professionally. One antidote: reach for Christian Marcolli’s book, Spotlight on Performance: Executive Inspiration, Volume II. Marcolli, a former pro soccer player turned global high-performance coach, in-demand speaker, and author, has a client roster that’s a who’s who in the sports as well as business worlds, from Olympic gold medalists to CEOs. He gets the best out of the best with the strategies outlined in this helpful book.

Spotlight on Performance: Executive Inspiration, Volume II was written for post-pandemic new realities: a business environment in which executives are always on, ever-accessible, and under constant pressure. As Marcolli notes, leaders are also dealing with tremendous market velocity and seemingly endless pivots to adapt. Given it all, the risk of burnout has never been higher.  

Understandably, many leaders and entrepreneurs react not just by isolating themselves, also turning away from a reliance on teams. They try to steer the whole ship themselves, and disengage from the family as they’re simply tapped out. Those are mistakes with lasting consequences, Marcolli says. He makes a convincing link between happiness at home and success in business: that solid family relationships and friendships outside of work provide a sense of security, confidence, and resilience.

As for teams, the importance of a great team is undeniable. Marcolli shares a telling example from the sports world of tennis superstar Roger Federer. We may see Federer on the court and think it’s all up to him. But in truth, Marcolli notes, the strength of individual performance comes down to teamwork. In Federer’s case, he leaned on a support team that included his capable, visionary long-term tennis coach, Severin Lüthi. The result was sustained, remarkable success.

While many of the athletes and leaders discussed clearly have a gift for digging in regardless of circumstances, excellence over time takes a more organized, concerted effort for anyone — including them, writes Marcolli. Based on his work with top performers, he’s created a whole set of workable, realistic strategies that anyone can follow. When Olympic gold medal skier Michelle Gisin was battling a serious illness and could only train at 25%-30% capacity, she and Marcolli worked on her mental game and realistic, practical ways to achieve. The result: she not only defended her Olympic title, she prevailed in the world cup races afterwards, and finished the 2021/22 season ranked Number Five in the world.

Exceptional performance isn’t a matter of sheer talent, or raw will, or drive. It’s a matter of harnessing and protecting one’s energy, learning how to set achievable goals, face your fears, embrace your life outside of work, build phenomenal, inspired, supportive teams, and most of all, enjoy it. This book is packed with ways to get there — and achieve outstanding, sustained, results. And as an indicator of just how global the business world has become, the book is bi-lingual — with English and German versions within the same volume. Learn more at www.marcolli.com.

Nicole Killian