Perfection: The False Expectation in Leadership

(Originally published as Perfection: The Fake News in Leadership on LinkedIn, May 6, 2019). Updated.

Perfection is NOT required to be a successful leader.

I cannot think of one thing in my life that I have done perfectly.

Being thin was never a strength of mine (We live in a skinny-obsessed world).

I have never been a straight-A student (Close: 3.95/4.0 GPA, and it only took me 40+ years).

Likes = success in today’s society, and I have never had more than a few ‘Likes’ on any post.

In nearly 32 years in the Army, I never scored 100 on a Physical Fitness test (295/300).

By all accounts, because I am not perfect, I have been a dismal failure on the leadership success journey, or have I? Is perfection in leadership a false expectation? (Read more on perfection by clicking the pick above.)

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Are You the Perfect Leader?

While we have been taught that perfection is the destination and the journey of successful managers and leaders, I have never met the ‘Perfect Person.’ So, I ask again: Is perfection necessary for successful leadership? Are you a perfect leader?

Because I am so imperfect but, by some accounts, highly successful, my answer is no to both.

Perfection in leadership is a fairy tale, a myth. I would say that Perfection = Successful Leadership = False Expectation. As a leader, are you trying to live this leadership lie?

How Do Imperfect Leaders Achieve Success?

Yes, I am a Recovering Perfectionist, but our group never meets because we cannot agree on the perfect time and place.

Does this sound like you, your coworkers, and your work environment? Is perfectionism ruining your business? Your life? Here are a few techniques I used to achieve success while striving for perfection in an imperfect world.

1. Set Objectives You are Passionate about Achieving. My major objective in life was to become a Soldier, so I worked tirelessly to meet the requirements. I always had mental, emotional, and moral capacity, but lacked physical ability. I was never a thin guy trapped in a fat guy’s body, just a fat guy who liked Twinkies. I do not recall having a Twinkie between 1983 and 2014, but I made up for it in 2015! Have you set objectives that you are passionate about achieving? Have you set any objectives?
2. Engage in a One-Person Competition. I have only been a fierce competitor with one person in my life: Myself. If I can live up to my own expectations, then I can achieve what I set my mind to. General of the Army Omar Bradley said it best: “Always do your very best, and the rest will take care of itself.” Are you competing against yourself, or the world? Who’s winning?

Kind of an Oxymoron

1. Know Your Limitations and Break Them. If I am so perfect, how can I have limitations? This poisonous thinking is what makes perfection so dangerous. For example, no matter how much I wished, I would never become six feet tall. My weight, however, was always a limitation in everything I did in life, but something I could change.
2. Breaking the Oxymoron. Being a Soldier is fraught with perfectionist requirements: appearance, fitness, stamina, and qualifications. My weight was only a limitation, not a deterrent. I broke my weight limitation several times and held it at bay for over 15 years. Now, it is simply a matter of pride, not an objective. I had other limitations and conquered them, but I merely chose to focus on my weight. Do you know your limitations? Are you willing to break them? Have you ever tried?

Now, The Hard Part About Being an Imperfect Leader

My objectives for achieving success weren’t easy, but they were easier than the ones below, especially for an imperfect person.

1. Maintain Your Faith. Being imperfect is tough, and so is being successful. Steve Harvey said on his 2007 radio show that “Being successful is hard work.” From Platoon Leader of 40 men to G2 (Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence) for 140,000 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, contractors, and coalition forces in war, some days I didn’t feel like being the ‘perfect leader’ or person. On those imperfect days, I had to lean on my faith – spiritual, familial, and friendships- to get me through those agonizing times, and I still do.

2. Embrace Your Imperfections. I had to embrace my imperfections early in life. In one eighth-grade gym class, I forgot my T-shirt, and there was only one left to borrow from the cadre. Coach Willie B told the assistant:

“Willie don’t need no T-shirt. Give Big Burl a tee shirt.”

Big Burl became my new nickname for the remainder of a loooonnngggg school year. I learned, however, to capitalize on my nickname in high school when I transformed into B3 – Big Bad Burl. How can your imperfections work for you?

3. Strive for Potential, not Perfection. Some people have more potential than others, but everyone can achieve their potential if they wish. Helping people unlock their potential and then pursue it was a key element to my success as a leader. Not everyone will follow my path or take my journey, but they may need help in discovering their own. Are you helping employees achieve potential or perfection? Has your organization achieved perfection, or just discontentment with the perfection journey?

Some Final Thoughts

I was that guy in the picture above and still consider myself a recovering perfectionist. However, despite my imperfections, I became a successful leader. Perfection in successful leadership is a false expectation and can drive organizations, relationships, and people to destructive ends such as stress, anxiety, insomnia, and even exhaustion.

How will you achieve success as a leader without pursuing the false expectation of perfection?

Are you developing potential versus perfection?

Are you limiting yourself by not asking for help?

How will you achieve success as a leader?

Will you ‘Like’ this post and share it vigorously with others?

If you are still struggling with your perfection tendencies, then Let’s Chat.

Related Blogs on Leadership

• Would You Work for You?
• Leadership Development
• Balance: A Leader’s Lament
• Remaining Competitive Requires Resetting Your Network