"Bill Beswick tells a story in this book: There was a situation set up in a medical school where people training to be surgeons had to take their final examination - a three-hour examination. But the professor came into the room and to the surprise of all the students, offered them the opportunity for a B grade without taking the examination. And all the class, apart from two, stood up and left. They celebrated because all they needed was a B grade to pass their final. So they were clear, they were surgeons, they were professionals. But two people stayed. And the professor said, “I’ve offered you a B grade without taking the examination. Why are you still sitting there?” And the answer for one of them, I could never forget it. “I base my life on trying to be an A grade student, an A grade surgeon, an A grade person. I’m not in the mood to accept B grade now. I’ll take the examination."

This week’s book is What Drives Winning by Brett Ledbetter. Brett is a performance consultant.