When high standards start to get in the way
Some work develops through contact with reality
I often work with thoughtful, high-performing leaders whose attention to detail is one of the reasons they are trusted. They care about doing things well, notice what others miss and hold themselves to a high standard. In many situations, that is a real strength.
Where high standards stop helping
Not every challenge rewards the same kind of leadership. What I’ve noticed is that when the work becomes more complex and uncertain, the instinct to keep refining, tightening and improving the details before taking the next step can start to become less useful.
That is not because high standards are suddenly a problem, but because some kinds of work do not become clearer through further thought alone. They become clearer through contact with the real world.
How some work actually develops
There are different ways contact with the real world might be needed, such as a courageous conversation with a stakeholder, running a pilot, or putting a draft in front of the right people. Whatever form it takes, the next step is often there not to solve everything immediately, but to reveal something you do not yet know.
When your success has been built on doing things thoroughly and well, it can feel uncomfortable to move before everything is fully formed. But in complex work, waiting until something feels ready can be exactly what stops it developing, because the next step is often not there to prove your thinking is complete, but to show you what it is still missing.
So if there is something you are still refining, still polishing, or still waiting to feel completely ready for, ask yourself:
What am I waiting to perfect that could develop faster with more feedback?
I work one-to-one with senior leaders, helping them build strategies to tackle complex challenges. If you'd like to explore what that could look like for you, you can find out more here.
This post was originally shared with my email list. Want to receive weekly reflections on strategy, leadership and high-stakes decision-making delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up here.
Comments