---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: the highest level of performance always…"
description: "\"“the highest level of performance always comes from people who are emotionally engaged and the highest level of engagement comes from knowing the score..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bb/chris-mcchesney-33021_winning-or-losing_the-highest-level-of-performance-always_1526565.jpg"
---

#  the highest level of performance always comes from people…

![“the highest level of performance always comes from people who are emotionally engaged and the highest level of engagement comes from knowing the score—that is, if people know whether they are winning or losing. It’s that simple.” quote by Chris McChesney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bb/chris-mcchesney-33021_winning-or-losing_the-highest-level-of-performance-always_1526565.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bb/chris-mcchesney-33021_winning-or-losing_the-highest-level-of-performance-always_1526565.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bb/chris-mcchesney-33021_winning-or-losing_the-highest-level-of-performance-always_1526565.jpg)

> ““the highest level of performance always comes from people who are emotionally engaged and the highest level of engagement comes from knowing the score—that is, if people know whether they are winning or losing. It’s that simple.””

[Chris McChesney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mcchesney/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Performance improves when people feel emotionally invested and understand clear metrics of success or failure.

**In simple terms:** Engagement and clear scores boost performance.

Key Takeaway

Provide transparent metrics to motivate teams.

Themes

motivation performance leadership

Mood

focused energetic

Type

strategic inspirational

When to use this quote

- team meetings
- sales targets
- project milestones
- sports coaching

Key Concepts

goal setting feedback loops emotional engagement

Questions to Reflect On

- How does knowing the score affect your effort?
- What metrics best reflect success in your role?

A Different Perspective

If scores are ambiguous, motivation may drop.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Winning Or Losing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning-or-losing/)

## Related quotes

> [What's the point of dating without games? How do you know if you're winning or losing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/what-s-the-point-of-dating-without-games-how-do-you-know-if-you-re/)

[Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/)

> [“You only reveal your game plan when you know you're winning, or losing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-mostafa/you-only-reveal-your-game-plan-when-you-know-you-re-winning-or-losing/)

[Ahmed Mostafa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-mostafa/)

> [Numerous studies show that people derive more personal satisfaction and are more productive when they engage at a deeper level. In the past, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-yuan/numerous-studies-show-that-people-derive-more-personal-satisfaction/)

[Eric Yuan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-yuan/)

> [Arsenal is a team that, even if they score two or three, people believe that at the end of the day, they might lose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nwankwo-kanu/arsenal-is-a-team-that-even-if-they-score-two-or-three-people-believe/)

[Nwankwo Kanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nwankwo-kanu/)

> [If I have a bad game, coaches, teammates tell me not to worry, next game I'll score. When people tell you this, it makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-ovechkin/if-i-have-a-bad-game-coaches-teammates-tell-me-not-to-worry-next-game/)

[Alexander Ovechkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-ovechkin/)

> [If we do what we think is right, not try to point-score, people will begin to trust us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-maude/if-we-do-what-we-think-is-right-not-try-to-point-score-people-will/)

[Francis Maude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-maude/)

> [“The kind of scoreboard that will drive the highest levels of engagement with your team will be one that is designed solely for (and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mcchesney/the-kind-of-scoreboard-that-will-drive-the-highest-levels-of/)

[Chris McChesney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mcchesney/)

> [I know what winning the League means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-barnes/i-know-what-winning-the-league-means/)

[Ashley Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-barnes/)

> [Now began the part of her life where she was just very beautiful, except for nothing. Only winners will know what this feels like.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/now-began-the-part-of-her-life-where-she-was-just-very-beautiful/)

[Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/)

> [I think the simplest way to put it is to say that Donald continues to need to prove to his father that he's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-l-trump/i-think-the-simplest-way-to-put-it-is-to-say-that-donald-continues-to/)

[Mary L. Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-l-trump/)

> [“If athletes could think of SM as sports, they'd understand the acceptance of pain, but they'd always want to know who was winning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-w-bean/if-athletes-could-think-of-sm-as-sports-they-d-understand-the/)

Joseph W. Bean

> [If I'm playing bad, then I know we're not winning a lot of games, and we're definitely not No. 1 in pass defense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-harris-jr/if-i-m-playing-bad-then-i-know-we-re-not-winning-a-lot-of-games-and/)

[Chris Harris, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-harris-jr/)

> [You know that you have to keep winning to keep playing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-lloris/you-know-that-you-have-to-keep-winning-to-keep-playing/)

[Hugo Lloris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-lloris/)

> [I don't know if winning at any cost is wrong or not. There are times I've thought that the end justified the means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/i-don-t-know-if-winning-at-any-cost-is-wrong-or-not-there-are-times-i/)

[George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/)

> [You know you are winning when you see you're being copied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/you-know-you-are-winning-when-you-see-you-re-being-copied/)

[Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/)

## More by Chris McChesney

> [“We believe the principles of execution have always been focus, leverage, engagement, and accountability. Are”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mcchesney/we-believe-the-principles-of-execution-have-always-been-focus/)

[Chris McChesney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mcchesney/)

> [“Discipline 1: Focus on the wildly important requires you to go against your basic wiring as a leader and focus on less so that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mcchesney/discipline-1-focus-on-the-wildly-important-requires-you-to-go-against/)

[Chris McChesney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mcchesney/)

> [“Most people fall in the middle between the models and the resisters. They represent your greatest potential leverage for improving performance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mcchesney/most-people-fall-in-the-middle-between-the-models-and-the-resisters/)

[Chris McChesney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mcchesney/)

> [“Sometimes, choosing your WIG is about more than selecting the aspect of your business where the greatest results are desired; it’s about a WIG…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mcchesney/sometimes-choosing-your-wig-is-about-more-than-selecting-the-aspect/)

[Chris McChesney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mcchesney/)

> [“The secret to Discipline 4, in addition to the repeated cadence, is that team members create their own commitments.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mcchesney/the-secret-to-discipline-4-in-addition-to-the-repeated-cadence-is/)

[Chris McChesney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mcchesney/)

> [“In fact, in our initial surveys we learned that only one employee in seven could name even one of their organization’s most important goals.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mcchesney/in-fact-in-our-initial-surveys-we-learned-that-only-one-employee-in/)

[Chris McChesney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mcchesney/)

> [“the more you try to do, the less you actually accomplish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mcchesney/the-more-you-try-to-do-the-less-you-actually-accomplish/)

[Chris McChesney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mcchesney/)

> [“The cadence of accountability is a rhythm of regular and frequent meetings of any team that owns a wildly important goal. These meetings happen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mcchesney/the-cadence-of-accountability-is-a-rhythm-of-regular-and-frequent/)

[Chris McChesney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mcchesney/)

> [“Lead measures are quite different in that they are the measures of the most high-impact things your team must do to reach the goal.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mcchesney/lead-measures-are-quite-different-in-that-they-are-the-measures-of/)

[Chris McChesney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mcchesney/)

> [“The kind of scoreboard that will drive the highest levels of engagement with your team will be one that is designed solely for (and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mcchesney/the-kind-of-scoreboard-that-will-drive-the-highest-levels-of/)

[Chris McChesney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mcchesney/)

> [“Whenever you see a man on top of a mountain, you can be sure he didn’t fall there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mcchesney/whenever-you-see-a-man-on-top-of-a-mountain-you-can-be-sure-he-didn-t/)

[Chris McChesney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mcchesney/)

> [“managing a company by looking at financial data (lag measures) is the equivalent of “driving a car by looking in the rearview mirror.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mcchesney/managing-a-company-by-looking-at-financial-data-lag-measures-is-the/)

[Chris McChesney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mcchesney/)

> [“If you ignore the urgent, it can kill you today. It’s also true, however, that if you ignore the important, it can kill you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mcchesney/if-you-ignore-the-urgent-it-can-kill-you-today-it-s-also-true-however/)

[Chris McChesney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mcchesney/)

> [“A good lead measure has two basic characteristics: It’s predictive of achieving the goal and it can be influenced by the team members.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mcchesney/a-good-lead-measure-has-two-basic-characteristics-it-s-predictive-of/)

[Chris McChesney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mcchesney/)

[Explore all 15 Chris McChesney quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mcchesney/)

## More Football quotes

> [When I came to Chelsea, it was clear that, like many other players, I would first be loaned out. So I went to Belgium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thorgan-hazard/when-i-came-to-chelsea-it-was-clear-that-like-many-other-players-i/)

[Thorgan Hazard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thorgan-hazard/)

> [If you take your eye off the ball or lose focus for even a minute you can lose a game against any team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-anderson/if-you-take-your-eye-off-the-ball-or-lose-focus-for-even-a-minute-you/)

[Felipe Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-anderson/)

> [There are guys who play lacrosse, and there are lacrosse players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-mundorf/there-are-guys-who-play-lacrosse-and-there-are-lacrosse-players/)

Brendan Mundorf

> [Giggs is the realest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kaluuya/giggs-is-the-realest/)

[Daniel Kaluuya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kaluuya/)

> [You get a new coach; you do things a little differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archie-manning/you-get-a-new-coach-you-do-things-a-little-differently/)

[Archie Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archie-manning/)

> [You gotta have a little kid in you to play football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-edwards/you-gotta-have-a-little-kid-in-you-to-play-football/)

[Herman Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-edwards/)

> [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/)

[Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/)

> [My team mates are fundamental for my characteristics, if they send in crosses I can play inside the area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/filippo-inzaghi/my-team-mates-are-fundamental-for-my-characteristics-if-they-send-in/)

[Filippo Inzaghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/filippo-inzaghi/)

> [The Copa del Rey is a different competition. It is football in its purest form and is different from the continuity of the league.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-laudrup/the-copa-del-rey-is-a-different-competition-it-is-football-in-its/)

[Michael Laudrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-laudrup/)

> [“Wild card, got it," Duncan said. "Just like in Crazy Eights. I can be a diamond; I can be a spade. Whatever you need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-healy/wild-card-got-it-duncan-said-just-like-in-crazy-eights-i-can-be-a/)

[Christopher Healy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-healy/)

> [Leo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Eden. Every year, you look at their numbers - score goals, assists, minutes - to see they play very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro/leo-cristiano-ronaldo-neymar-eden-every-year-you-look-at-their/)

[Pedro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro/)

> [It's a lot harder to play football when you haven't got the ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gray/it-s-a-lot-harder-to-play-football-when-you-haven-t-got-the-ball/)

[Andy Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gray/)

> [I just enjoy winning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xander-bogaerts/i-just-enjoy-winning/)

[Xander Bogaerts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xander-bogaerts/)

> [I think you can get, as a player, stuck in the mindset of trying too hard to prove yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinity-rodman/i-think-you-can-get-as-a-player-stuck-in-the-mindset-of-trying-too/)

[Trinity Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinity-rodman/)

> [We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/we-cannot-change-the-cards-we-are-dealt-just-how-we-play-the-hand/)

[Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/)

[Browse all 59,646 Football quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“the highest level of performance always comes from people who are emotionally engaged and the highest level of engagement comes from knowing the score—that is, if people know whether they are winning or losing. It’s that simple.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Chris McChesney"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mcchesney/the-highest-level-of-performance-always-comes-from-people-who-are/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Football"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mcchesney/the-highest-level-of-performance-always-comes-from-people-who-are/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bb/chris-mcchesney-33021_winning-or-losing_the-highest-level-of-performance-always_1526565.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bb/chris-mcchesney-33021_winning-or-losing_the-highest-level-of-performance-always_1526565.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bb/chris-mcchesney-33021_winning-or-losing_the-highest-level-of-performance-always_1526565.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“the highest level of performance always comes from people who are emotionally engaged and the highest level…” — Chris McChesney",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Chris McChesney",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mcchesney/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“the highest level of performance always...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mcchesney/the-highest-level-of-performance-always-comes-from-people-who-are/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mcchesney/the-highest-level-of-performance-always-comes-from-people-who-are/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
