The world’s most admired companies know how to stick with it. They may not have completely eliminated the knowing- doing gap, but they have certainly reduced it enough to create a significant competitive advantage.

Of course, it’s nice to be recognized as one of the world’s most admired companies. However, bottom-line results are also a key indicator of an organization’s health.

So how do the top 50 world’s most admired companies compare in that respect? Below is a comparison of total shareholder returns for these same companies versus the S&P 500.

I love watching the Olympics.  I was thrilled when they started alternating the summer and winter Olympics so I would only have to wait every two years instead of four years.  The Olympics embody all that is good and inspiring about the human spirit.

Olympic athletes and their back stories of trials and triumph stimulate great family conversations. I am simply in awe of how they practice day in and day out, week in and week out, year in and year out for that one moment to perform when it really matters.

We have worked with thousands of leaders since co-founding The L Group, a leadership consulting and training firm, in 1999. 

Here is what we have observed to be the top 10 derailers of leadership success.