Balancing Perfect and Progress as a Leader
As a leader, it seems I’m always trying to balance perfect and progress.
I want things done well. We should think through the details, ask good questions, anticipate problems, and produce something we can be proud of.
But I also want us to move. I want forward motion.
And those two desires are often in tension with each other.
If we wait until everything is perfect, we may never make progress. The opportunity may pass. Momentum may disappear. Someone else may solve the problem while we are still discussing it.
On the other hand, if all we care about is progress, we can make a lot of needless mistakes. We can frustrate people, waste resources, and eventually injure our credibility.
Leadership requires learning to live somewhere between two extremes.
I’ve made plenty of mistakes on both sides.
There have been times I moved too quickly. I saw where I thought we needed to go and wanted to get there yesterday. In hindsight, another conversation, another opinion, or a little more patience would have saved us trouble.
And there have been other times when I waited too long. I wanted more information, everyone to be comfortable and every question answered.
Meanwhile, we weren’t moving.
After a lot of years in leadership, I’ve learned a few things about balancing perfect and progress.
Know what actually has to be perfect.
Some things deserve extra caution.
For example, if the decision involves integrity, safety, significant financial risk, or something difficult to reverse, slow down. Ask more questions. Get wise counsel.
Not every decision deserves the same amount of deliberation. One of the mistakes leaders make is treating every decision as if it carries the same weight.
It doesn’t.
Determine what is good enough to move forward.
Granted, this can be difficult for perfectionists; sometimes 80 percent of the information is enough. Sometimes the plan is strong enough to begin. In fact, the next step will actually teach you more than another month of meetings ever could.
There comes a point when additional planning isn’t improving the decision. It is simply postponing it.
Leave room to adjust.
One reason we can move without having everything perfect is because most decisions aren’t permanent.
We can learn, adjust and improve as we go.
In reality, some things can only be learned once you start doing them.
I’ve often found that the final product looks different from what I originally envisioned. That doesn’t necessarily mean the original idea was wrong. It often means other people made it better along the way.
Listen to the people closest to the work.
One safeguard against unnecessary mistakes is involving the people who will actually have to implement the decision.
I’m a big believer in empowering people rather than controlling them. Give people the destination. Explain the why. Then let capable people help determine how we get there.
They will see things you don’t see and may keep your desire for progress from creating problems you never anticipated.
Accept that mistakes are part of progress.
This may be the hardest one.
If you are going to lead change, try new things, or empower people, some things simply won’t work.
The goal isn’t to create an organization where nobody ever fails. If people are afraid to make a mistake, eventually they will become afraid to make a decision.
The goal is to create a culture where we learn quickly, take responsibility, make corrections, and keep moving.
Of course, this is not permission for sloppy leadership.
Excellence still matters. Preparation matters. Details matter. Of course, even more – people matter.
But perfection can become an excuse for inactivity. And progress without wisdom can become recklessness.
One of the continuing challenges of leadership is knowing the difference.
Perhaps the question isn’t – Is this perfect? Maybe the better question is – Is this wise enough, strong enough, and ready enough for us to take the next step?
Because very little we lead will ever be perfect. But we can keep making progress.
