We can easily fall into the perfectionism trap, both in our personal and professional lives. We risk stifling creativity and growth when setting unrealistically high standards for ourselves and our teams. I confess I’m a ‘recovering perfectionist,’ and I have to be very aware of my prior proclivity to push myself too far. If it’s not something I intentionally manage, I can start to slide back into old habits of holding onto unreasonable standards for myself. Up until just a few years ago, that was how I operated. I had the utmost compassion for others but would be overly tough on myself. I had a reputation for exemplary work, but I also hid behind a facade of ease, holding myself to painfully high standards that simply were not realistic – or healthy. My experience underscored how harmful this compulsion can be, ultimately eroding productivity – and joy. It took me a while to evolve after leaving the corporate grind and hustle, but being a business owner has challenged me to work on my self-growth in ways I never could have imagined. Once I transformed my self-defeating practices into creating more balance, operating, and leading from a place of better alignment, my life, and my business, now reap the benefits.
After all, we’re human. Having high standards motivates us. Maybe we just need recognition, and approval, to be the ‘best.’ I know my earlier belief was, that if I was doing everything perfectly, I was above judgment, criticism – or the shame of mistakes; perfect also felt like job security. I didn’t understand the adage: “Done is better than perfect.” I used to wonder how anything could be considered ‘done’ if it wasn’t ‘perfect!?’ Driven by the fear of making mistakes, or worse, of failing, this was chipping away at my self-esteem. Realistically, all of our achievements, especially the greatest ones, come with some setbacks and failures along the way. Einstein wisely said, “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”
I have learned that striving for excellence is more fulfilling than perfectionism. Perfectionism is unrealistic, exhausting, and harmful to my mental health. Excellence, however, is attainable with consistent effort and fosters continuous improvement and learning. With excellence, we strive to do our best while accepting and learning from our mistakes. Perfectionism, on the other hand, leaves no room for error or weakness, and it will continue to dim our inner light, instead of igniting it.
Now my life looks quite different. I’m a self-confident business owner, leading with integrity, both for myself and my team. Knowing mistakes are an integral part of the journey, this enables us to focus on continuous improvement. With humility, I share and suggest only things that I have done. Guiding by example, we create space for experimentation, inspiration, creativity, and ultimately, growth.
Steering the course for my team and our clients, our goal is to strive for excellence, not for the illusion of perfection. This allows us to take calculated risks, learn from our experiences, and celebrate our successes while providing exemplary service and results to and for our clients and our company. A more dynamic, positive, resilient organization is framed around prioritizing progress. With our team feeling safe to stumble now and then along the way, remarkable things start to happen. We draw out the best in ourselves, our teams, and our clients. According to a study conducted by O.C.Tanner in February 2024, “Many companies default to compensation in order to help employees feel appreciated and stay, but while 80% of employers think employees leave for higher pay, only 12% of them actually do. Global studies reveal that 79% of people who quit their jobs cite “lack of appreciation” as their reason for leaving.”
It is through sharing my own experiences and lessons learned that I hope to imbue those around me with a sense of safe empowerment. By letting go of perfectionism, and instead striving for excellence, we empower ourselves and our teams to achieve greatness. This shift enables us to shine brilliantly, shaping meaningful improvements within a culture of excellence, and unlocking our true potential.
As always, I’m here to collaborate with you on your leadership journey.
