Steen challenged the assumption that hard work alone leads to excellence. Drawing on decades of coaching experience and conversations with faculty colleagues, he observed that the hardest workers are not always the most prolific performers, and the student who puts in the most hours is not always the most creative and engaged thinker. If you have a limited imagination — a limited concept of what's possible — then performing in a truly exceptional manner is improbable at best. Quoting Einstein — 'Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere' — Steen argued that imagination is not a luxury but a necessity for high performance. Imagination fuels perspective, perspective connects you to the bigger picture, and the bigger picture opens up possibilities. Performing at one's best, he insisted, begins with the creation and expression of an idea — nothing more, nothing less.