PEOPLE OFTEN ASSUME high performance comes from pushing harder, working longer, or finding the latest productivity hack.
My experience has been the opposite.
The biggest breakthroughs in my career, fitness and personal life have come from doing simple things consistently over a long period of time.
As Chief Operating Officer of RCC National, an insurance construction and restoration business with more than 330 employees operating 24/7 across Australia, I spend most days making decisions under pressure, solving complex problems and helping teams navigate uncertainty.
The environment can be demanding and unpredictable. Severe weather events, large-scale insurance claims and operational challenges don’t arrive when it suits your calendar. In a business that never truly switches off, it’s easy to become reactive.
Early in my career, I realised that if I didn’t create structure for myself, I would end up chasing the day rather than leading it.
That’s ultimately why fitness became such an important part of my life.
Not because I wanted to look a certain way. Not because I was training for a competition. But because I needed a system that would help me perform consistently under pressure.
RCC COO Michael Mazboudi – image supplied
Every morning I wake up at 4:30am.
People often ask why. The answer is simple: it’s the only part of the day that belongs entirely to me.
Before emails, meetings, phone calls and unexpected issues begin, I have time to think clearly. One of my non-negotiables is avoiding my phone first thing in the morning. The moment you open your inbox or social media, you’re allowing other people’s priorities to dictate your focus. I’d rather spend those first minutes setting direction than reacting.
I spend a few minutes planning the day ahead, identifying priorities, anticipating challenges and clarifying what success looks like. That small investment of time creates clarity and discipline that pays dividends throughout the day.
From there, I train.
My workouts are usually around 40 minutes and focus primarily on cardiovascular fitness, conditioning and improving my VO₂ max.
At 37, my view of fitness has changed considerably. In my twenties, I thought success in training meant pushing harder, training longer and chasing intensity. Today, I’m far more interested in performance, recovery and longevity.
I want to have the energy to lead at a high level, be present for my family and maintain my health for decades to come.
VO₂ max has become a particular focus because it measures how efficiently your body uses oxygen during exercise and is widely recognised as one of the strongest indicators of cardiovascular fitness.
For me, the benefits extend well beyond physical health.
The fitter I am at a cardiovascular level, the better I perform mentally.
I have more energy throughout the day, greater resilience under pressure and a clearer ability to think through complex decisions when challenges arise. Leadership often requires sustained performance rather than short bursts of effort, and I’ve found that cardiovascular fitness directly supports that capability.
Just as importantly, recovery has become part of the strategy.
I’ve learned that more isn’t always better. Quality sleep, hydration, nutrition and recovery are just as important as the training itself. In many ways, recovery mirrors leadership. Sustainable performance isn’t about operating at maximum intensity every day. It’s about creating systems that allow you to perform consistently over the long term.
One lesson fitness has reinforced repeatedly is that consistency beats intensity.
Many people approach health the same way organisations approach change. They go all in for a short period, burn out and stop altogether.
I’ve seen it happen in businesses, teams and fitness programs alike.
The people who achieve long-term success aren’t always the most talented. They’re usually the most consistent.
The same principle applies in leadership.
Over the years, I’ve learned that culture isn’t built through strategy documents, posters on walls or quarterly presentations. It’s built through what leaders repeatedly do. How they handle pressure. Whether they keep their commitments. How they respond when things go wrong.
People pay far more attention to behaviour than they do to words.
One of the most valuable parts of my fitness routine is accountability. Twice a week I attend group HIIT sessions, and there’s something powerful about training alongside people who expect you to show up.
The workout itself is only part of the benefit.
The real value comes from commitment.
When others are counting on you, your standards naturally rise.
Leadership works much the same way. Teams don’t expect perfection from their leaders. They expect consistency. They expect someone who remains composed under pressure, follows through on commitments and continues showing up when circumstances become difficult.
Outside of work, the habit that grounds me most isn’t fitness at all.
It’s spending time with my son, Max.
Each morning I help get him ready before heading to the office. No matter how complex business becomes, that time provides perspective. It reminds me that success isn’t measured solely by growth, revenue or business outcomes. It’s also measured by the example we set and the relationships we build with the people who matter most.
That’s why I believe high performance is often misunderstood.
True high performance isn’t about operating at maximum intensity all the time.
It’s about building habits and routines that continue to work when life becomes difficult.
Anyone can perform when conditions are perfect. The real test is whether your systems hold up when you’re tired, under pressure, facing setbacks or dealing with uncertainty.
I’ve learned that high performance has very little to do with motivation and almost everything to do with habits.
The greatest lesson fitness has taught me is that leadership and performance are built the same way. Neither is defined by a single decision, a single workout or a single good day. They are built through small actions repeated over time.
In business, people often look for breakthrough moments. In reality, sustainable success usually comes from doing the fundamentals extraordinarily well, every day. Showing up prepared. Being accountable. Following through on commitments. Remaining calm when others are under pressure. Creating an environment where people can perform at their best.
The same principles that improve fitness improve leadership.
Recovery creates resilience.
Discipline drives performance.
Accountability creates results.
Whether I’m training, leading a national business or spending time with my son, the goal is the same: to build habits that stand up under pressure and continue delivering results over the long term.
Because in fitness, leadership and life, success is rarely determined by how hard you can push for a short period of time.
It’s determined by how consistently you can show up when it matters most.
Michael Mazboudi is the Chief Operating Officer at RCC National
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