Progress Over Perfection

Demanding perfection from yourself or others is a recipe for disappointment.

It’s tempting to watch an Olympic athlete, a keynote speaker, or a comedian and make the false assumption that perfection is possible. Unfortunately, the mindset of wanting and or needing things to be perfect is an epidemic among leaders and professionals. 

If you have ever struggled with a perfectionist mindset, this week is for you.

What it means:

You desire and might even expect positive outcomes. There is nothing wrong with that; however, if you can learn to be patient with outcomes and impatient with progress, you are more likely to deliver the outcomes you desire.

Instead of looking for big wins and monster outcomes, turn your attention to small areas of progress. There is a good chance you have made more progress than you think you have; all you have to do is look.

What it means:

The work and effort you put in to achieve your goals and develop your skills shouldn’t go undetected. If perfection is your only aim, you will never be satisfied with your actions.

There is nothing wrong with the desire to continually improve and to push yourself to new heights. However, falling into the false belief that you will be perfect is what I call “stinking thinking.”

What it means:

Perfection is cruel because it seems attainable, but in reality, it’s impossible. It’s even more impossible over long periods versus small moments in time. 

Winston Churchhill said it well, “Perfection is the enemy of progress.” Just imagine for a second everything Churchhill encountered as a leader, and he had the foresight to look for progress instead of perfection.

The reality is that perfection doesn’t help you; it hurts you. It creates unrealistic expectations that further prevent you from performing at your best.

Regards,

John Eades | CEO LearnLoft

P.S. Off to Denver today to deliver the new Accelerate Sales Leadership Workshop. Wish me luck.

Progress Over Perfection: How the Best Leaders Think (Blog)

How to Use Time to Your Advantage (Podcast)

The 64-Day Excellence Planner

The odds are that you started this year with all the right intentions, goals, and maybe even a plan, but you have not executed well on that to date. While no planner can do the work for you, the 64-Day Excellence Planner will help.

Now is the time to turn your focus and productivity around. Introducing the 64-Day Excellence Planner, meticulously crafted to mirror the strategies of high performers. Select the planner or program that best fits your needs and use the code “newsletter” to get 20% off.

1. 64-Day Excellence Planner (Digital only $19.99 this month)

2. 64-Day Excellence Planner Wirebound

3. 64-Day Excellence Program

Here are some ways we could work together:

Roll out the Accelerate Leadership System - Only 15% of new managers receive training, and 60% of leaders fail within 18 months. Instead of hoping your most talented people figure out how to be leaders, now is the time to show them how. Introducing the Accelerate Leadership System: Provide your managers with the foundation to be successful with tailored examples, tools, and stories to fit your company culture. Ideal for managers, supervisors, and executives in groups of 8+.

Skill Mastery Workshops - Provide 2-hour virtual or in-person skill mastery workshops to groups of 8+. Focus on skills like Accountability, Coaching, Relationship Building, Strategic Decision Making, Time Management, Team Execution, Retention, Recruiting, Leadership Fundamentals, or Change Management.

1:1 Executive Leadership Coaching—Get 1:1 coaching to improve performance. Coaching programs are six months long and include a LearnLoft-certified coach. They are perfect for one executive or a group of executives who aren’t meeting their potential.

Speaking - We’re now booking keynotes for Q3 & Q4. Reply to this note or fill out the form here, and our team will be in touch to discuss topics, availability, and pricing.