The Unreasonable Cost of Inconsistency

The difference between extraordinary success and “what could have been” isn’t talent—it’s the discipline to be consistent when others aren’t.

A Tale of Two Professional Tennis Stars

Nick Kyrgios burst onto the professional tennis scene with undeniable talent and flashy play that suggested he could become a multi-Grand Slam champion. With one of the most powerful serves in tennis (rated by ATP as fifth-best in history), extraordinary shot-making ability, and the rare distinction of beating each of the “Big Three” players (Djokovic, Federer, and Nadal) in their first meetings, his potential seemed limitless. Yet, Kyrgios embraced his inconsistency and lack of discipline almost as a personal brand. He famously admitted to minimal training, partying before matches, and prioritizing entertainment over results. In tournament play, he oscillated between brilliant performances and first-round exits, managing just seven career singles titles and never advancing beyond a single Grand Slam final (Wimbledon 2022). Today, at just 29 years old, he’s primarily a tennis broadcaster and commentator for the BBC and ESPN, while his playing career has become largely defined by injuries and what could have been.

Now let’s consider Roger Federer, whose 20 Grand Slam titles, 103 ATP singles titles (second most in the Open Era), and record 237 consecutive weeks as world #1 overlay a very different underlying story.

Federer’s career was defined by meticulous consistency—in his preparation, technique, and mental approach. His daily routine was legendary: precise practice sessions, detailed attention to recovery, nutrition planned to the calorie, and a disciplined approach to every facet of his profession. Even into his late 30s, Federer maintained rituals that had served him for decades, adapting them only when evidence suggested better approaches. In 2017, at age 35 and following knee surgery, he returned to win three more Grand Slam titles when many thought his career was over.

Tennis, business, or any pursuit of massive success requires relentless consistency and discipline over time. The divergent habits–and results–of Kyrgios and Federer illuminate this truth vividly.

But in business, it’s not just about your own consistency and behavior as a leader. It’s also about what you expect of others, what you tolerate in them, and the boundaries you establish throughout your organization.

It’s surprisingly easy for leaders to justify the lack of consistency and discipline. Some feel it’s required to remain nimble as a high-growth, entrepreneurial firm. Others, just like Nick Kyrgios–entwine it with their identity and claim, “it’s who I am, and it works for me.” And there are those who simply don’t recognize the issue at all.

Let’s break down the real costs of inconsistency and its close cousin mediocrity and recommend some guidelines to help business leaders and their teams find the disciplined strides required to win.

Inconsistency Squanders Resources and Increases Risk

“The signature of mediocrity is chronic inconsistency.” – Jim Collins

Start. Stop. Start again. Stop again. The well-researched cost of task switching is staggering—studies show productivity drops by 40% when we constantly shift focus. Now multiply that across a team and, then again, across an organization. The toll is immense.

Think about the consistency of your meeting rhythms, how you honor, resource, and accomplish your priorities, your intolerance of non-fit staff, and how you communicate to employees. Now consider these inconsistent actions I’ve routinely observed in businesses of all sizes:

Weekly and/or monthly team meetings cancelled and/or rescheduled.
Sporadic daily huddles.
Major “Priorities” that change weekly, monthly, or quarterly. Then change again.
Some low performers and non-fit staff are tolerated, while others are not.
Departmental and/or companywide communications occur only “when there’s something important to say.”
Leaders failing to lead by example (walk their own talk).

Inconsistency in any of these areas increases the risk of mediocre results over time.

You’ll also burn out your team–and potentially yourself–more rapidly. The mental energy required to constantly recalibrate, restart, and redirect is exhausting and, in fact, exponentially higher than maintaining a steadier, more disciplined approach.

On the other hand, more disciplined organizations have less risk exposure to unanticipated events and are notably more resilient. I witnessed this during COVID when a client called me just a couple of weeks after flipping their 1,000-person firm fully virtual in 24 hours: “If not for the structure and discipline you helped us put in place, there’s no way we could have done this. We’re fully virtual and nothing’s changed, other than we’re all on computer screens instead of in the same room.”

Their consistent approach to leading and operating the business enabled them to adapt at lightning speed without derailing. That’s the paradoxical power of consistency—it creates the foundation for extreme agility when it matters most.

Mediocrity Destroys Value and Stagnates Growth

“Mediocre people don’t like high achievers, and high achievers don’t like mediocre people. So if everybody doesn’t buy into the same principles and values of the organization at the same high standard, you’re never going to be successful.” – Nick Saban

There’s simply no room for mediocrity on teams that aspire to achieve great things, including your team, group, division, business unit, and organization as a whole.

You may have heard the saying that “one A player’s productivity replaces two B players or three C players.” I’ve seen this in real life, and you probably have too. Again, the cost of mediocrity is staggering and far beyond the simple payroll math. Consider the drag on profitability due to inattention, rework, miscommunication, and poor quality–and your potential to scale. Worse, your A players are likely to abandon ship when they realize their B and C player colleagues are there to stay.

The good news? With focus and energy, inconsistency and mediocrity can be overcome. Unsurprisingly, the solution begins and ends with you.

You Are the Problem and the Solution

You get what you tolerate in yourself and in others. As I wrote in my first book, Activators, wherever you are right now is exactly where you’re supposed to be, given the accumulation of your thinking, decisions, and actions to date.

Here are four steps to improve consistency and discipline in your organization:

Make up YOUR OWN mind that you want to lead and operate a high-performance organization, then collaborate with someone (like a qualified coach) who will help accelerate your development into the leader you’ll need to be. Think about Roger Federer’s disciplined approach to his craft—what does your version of that need to be? Remember: the desire to change isn’t enough; you also must be willing to do the work. Federer was well coached and an extremely hard worker.

Set clear, non-negotiable, high expectations for your team. Implement a Role Accountability Card process (explained in this article). Coach your team. Replace those who won’t or can’t operate to an excellent standard in their role.

Share your vision and standards firmwide, often. Structure meeting cadences and agendas to reinforce your expectations, fundamentals, and priorities regardless of whether you’re in the room. Note well: this work never ends.

Create habits, not heroics. Build systems that make consistency the default, not something that requires extraordinary effort. The best performers aren’t those who occasionally muster superhuman focus and feats—they’re those who show up and do the work of steady excellence day after day.

Conclusion

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

The contrast between Nick Kyrgios and Roger Federer isn’t just about talent—it’s about the disciplined, consistent application of their talent over time. One athlete reached the pinnacle of his sport and stayed there for decades. The other will be remembered for his flashes of brilliance, forever overshadowed by what might have been.

The same is true of the firms in your industry: the most constant and disciplined will win over time. How do you and how does your firm stack up?

Hard reality alert:

If you can’t, won’t, or don’t get this right, then you are mediocre too. This probably isn’t what you want to hear, but it’s the truth and one of the most challenging, yet productive realizations for leaders to internalize. In a caring way, I remind my coaching clients of this often.

The choice for consistency and discipline is yours to make—today and every day. And it’s just that: a choice.

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