High Standards Define Great Leadership
Martha Stewart has very high standards.
Over the course of my 20 years working for Martha, I would have to go to her for approval -- the annual holiday card, plans for a new campaign, product positioning. More often than not, she would say it didn't meet her standards. I was sent back to the drawing board over and over again to rework to the expected standard. It was a painful grind, but in the end, the product was exponentially stronger than the first submission.
Good was not the standard of excellence. Great was the expectation.
Standards are what set us apart in business.
What if your standards today were actually the thing keeping you small?
When you raise your standards, you set a new level of excellence.
When you raise your standards, you raise your belief.
When you raise your standards, you become your next best version.
Setting new expectations for your standards has a cascading effect.
As your standards grow so will expectations.
You expect more for yourself.
You expect more for your business.
You expect more results for your clients.
You expect more from your people.
You expect more from your culture.
Setting new standards for you as the C.E.O. begins with role modeling a new standard over and over again. It becomes the new expected. You also model a higher standard for your team to emulate.
What you are tolerating that may be getting in the way of your growth?
Are there areas in your business that have gaps or fall short that may just be the thing holding you back? Processes that need to be polished or tightened, those SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) that still need to be written, or that customer experience that doesn't represent the excellence of your brand.
Stop tolerating less than excellent.
To reimagine standards for your business, start with an audit:
What are your standards today?
What determines your standards?
What determines the ‘why’ for your standard?
Why is that important?
What impact will a new standard have and reflect?
How will you measure this new standard?
Taking your standards to the next level will have a powerful impact on your self-concept. The next best version of it.
Becoming that next-level C.E.O. starts with reimagining new standards for you and for your role as the C.E.O.
Stop tolerating good and start setting great expectations.
Don't use the idea of raising your standards in a race to be like 'them' or be better than 'them'. The comparison game is a time waster focusing on them and not you. You are uniquely you. Do you better.
Let’s raise your expectation of standards for what’s possible for you.
You are the biggest influencer in your life, and when you recognize your influence over you, it is a game changer.
If you are considering working with a Coach or want to know more about the components of a Coaching engagement, let’s get on a call with this link.
"Being a founder can sometimes be the loneliest job in the whole world. There are days filled with self-doubt, angst, hurdles, fires, and tears. Other days are filled with laughter, triumph, and success. As a founder, the goal is to string as many great days together as possible and not waste time trying to put out fires. Christina helps quiet the negative voices and empowers the dreamer within to take the stage that you deserve and to reach your fullest potential."
