In the second issue of 2024, everything revolves around excellence.
June 17, 2024
Unknown Author
This booklet illuminates various aspects of emotional and physical highs. What makes us feel great and drives us to peak performance? But also: What makes us fail repeatedly? And: Why do others always seem to do everything so excellently?
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Why is there sometimes something magical about excellence in sports, and how important is it to sometimes make peace with one's own demands and perfectionism? These are also questions that concern us in this issue and for which we have sought - and found - answers. A selection of topics:
Impostor syndrome affects many successful people, including celebrities such as Michelle Obama and Tom Hanks. Despite outstanding achievements, those affected often feel like impostors and live in constant fear of being exposed as incompetent. Prof. Dr. Sonja Rohrmann from Goethe University Frankfurt explains in PREMIUM Quarterly: 'They are willing to work extraordinarily hard, and their tendency towards perfectionism also contributes to very positive work results.'
However, this internal pressure can lead to Burnout, depression and physical complaints, which is why an open approach to the topic is crucial. Rohrmann advises those affected to seek professional help if the pressure of suffering becomes too great, and recommends self-help measures such as keeping a success diary and open exchange with colleagues.
Report on the new issue: A visit to René Redzepis Restaurant Noma in Copenhagen, the best restaurant in the world, closing at the end of the year
Together with Franziska van Almsick and Sandra Völker, Peggy Büchse shaped swimming in the 1990s and won numerous titles, including two world championships and five European championships. In early 2002, she retired from active sports at not even 30 years old, after the 10,000-meter open water long-distance was not made an Olympic discipline.
In an interview with Premium Quarterly, Peggy Büchse speaks openly about the challenges and high pressure of competitive sports: "I had reached the top and wanted to stay there. But the pressure kept increasing, and I found it increasingly difficult to always give one hundred percent. […] At 29, I already had many years of very hard training and thousands of training kilometers in my bones. That also exhausted me mentally."
In an interview with Premium Quarterly, the renowned sports scientist speaks Dr. Ingo Froböse about the evolution of competitive sports. As a former vice-champion in the 100 meters and long-time head of the German Sport University Cologne, Froböse brings unique insights into the world of elite sports and sports medicine.
He highlights the significance of exceptional athletes and describes how ancient beliefs can be disproven: "According to the teachings of the time, Usain Bolt should never have existed. All calculations were against the possibility that someone with such long legs could run so fast."
From Leonardo da Vinci to Yayoi Kusama: artistic achievements between genius and madness
The new issue of Premium Quarterly also explores the extreme efforts artists often go to in order to achieve excellence. Most artists spare no effort for their calling, like Marcel Proust, who created a monumental work despite illness.
The stories show that great art often requires great sacrifice and that sometimes a spark of madness and a fixed idea are the key to true mastery. Premium Quarterly tells how artists like Michelangelo, Yayoi Kusama, and JR push physical and mental boundaries to realize their visions.
How do you fail correctly? Premium Quarterly explores this question and has spoken with Harvard Professor Amy Edmondson, among others. As the holder of the Novartis Chair of Leadership and Management, Edmondson has been researching mistakes and the productive handling of them for 30 years.
A key aspect of her research is psychological safety, which allows mistakes to be openly addressed and learned from. "Only where one can speak openly and without fear about mistakes is there a chance to learn from them," explains Edmondson.
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