Zig Ziglar once said, "Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly…until you can do it well". I was talking with a leader who was experiencing the repercussions of a superior who lead with bullying, intimidating tactics. It seems the boss wanted results without the discipline of process. He demanded excellence with no tolerance for the preparation it took to obtain that goal. The above mentioned leader felt demoralized and discouraged instead of motivated and encouraged.
I wonder how many times we expect too much of those around us. Do we expect our relationships to be strong without putting in the work of having hard conversations that create clarity? Do we expect others to know our needs, desires and dreams without developing the skill of both verbal and nonverbal communication? Do we expect our teams to be cohesive without investing in building individuals into a team? Do we demand results from those we lead without fully engaging and empowering them to succeed?
Excellence is not easy. It takes planning, preparation, process, and a lot of hard work. It is easy to say "we value excellence" but difficult to do what it takes to achieve it. Skills in leading are gained through failures, victories and time.
It takes a man or woman of humility to commit to do something poorly until they can do it well.
Choose to expect yourself and others to walk through the process before demanding results and you will make a difference!
Larry
Do It Poorly
