Performance = Potential - Interference

Have you ever wondered how much potential you truly bring to the workplace? And more importantly, how does your performance stack up against that potential?

Years ago, during my coaching training, I discovered a formula developed by Timothy Gellway that has profoundly shaped the way I approach leadership development:

Performance = Potential - Interference

This simple yet powerful equation is the key to unlocking higher performance. As a leadership coach & consultant, my work revolves around helping leaders maximize their potential while minimizing the interferences that stand in their way.

But what exactly is interference?

Externally, it might be the restrictive structures, outdated policies, lack of opportunities, or systemic inequities that make progress feel impossible. These challenges are real and can be tough to navigate.

However, the internal obstacles—those hidden barriers within ourselves—can be even more formidable.

Limiting beliefs, self-doubt, fears, assumptions, and negative emotions. These internal interferences can stop us in our tracks before we even get started. They cloud our judgment, drain our energy, and prevent us from reaching our full potential.

So, what “interferes” in your potential? What gets in the way? What keeps coming back again and again that drains your energy and blocks your progress?