How do high-ranking managers, top athletes, and other societal achievers manage to deliver exceptional performances while overcoming barriers that seem insurmountable to others? And how do they maintain their level of performance over a long period? What sets above-average achievers apart from the norm? In answering these questions, the authors go far beyond the standard self-help literature on the subject. After three years of intensive scientific research, a comprehensive empirical study involving some prominent top performers from sports and management, and based on years of consulting experience with high-caliber achievers, they develop a factor model of peak performance. Thus, the reader gains insights from both scientific and practical perspectives.