As a business leader and mentor to startups, I have always been driven by a singular desire: Excellence. This might come as a surprise to some, as my attention to detail and insistence on doing the right things the right way often get mistaken for a quest for perfection. However, there is a critical distinction between perfection and excellence, a distinction that I believe is crucial for startup founders and business leaders to understand.
Excellence vs. Perfection: The Crucial Distinction
During my time at the Loyola Institute Of Business Administration, where I pursued my MBA, the institute’s tagline, “In pursuit of excellence with ethics,” resonated deeply with me. It helped me understand the difference between excellence and perfection.
Excellence is about striving for high standards and outstanding performance while allowing room for continuous improvement. It is about doing the best with what we have and constantly seeking ways to do better. Perfection, on the other hand, is an unattainable, flawless state. It is a mirage that keeps moving further away the closer we get to it.
The Perils of Perfection
The pursuit of perfection often leads to inaction, delays, and unnecessary stress. Waiting for the perfect moment or the perfect product can stifle creativity, consume excessive time and resources, and ultimately prove unachievable. It is a pursuit that can paralyze us, preventing us from taking the necessary steps to move forward.
The Path of Excellence
Excellence, in contrast, is a journey. It is about achieving the best with the available resources and continuously seeking improvement and innovation. It is about setting high standards, meeting them, and then setting the bar even higher. It’s a sustainable path of growth, learning, and achievement.
Excellence allows for mistakes and failures, recognizing them as opportunities for learning and growth. It encourages a mindset of continuous improvement, where each step forward, no matter how small, is celebrated as progress.
Excellence: A Practical Approach for Startups and Professionals
For startups and professionals alike, striving for excellence is a more practical and beneficial approach than chasing perfection. It promotes a culture of continuous learning and improvement, fostering innovation and growth. It encourages teams to take calculated risks, learn from their mistakes, and continuously strive to improve.
I have seen firsthand how this pursuit of excellence can transform businesses. It fosters a culture of innovation, encourages risk-taking, and leads to sustainable growth and success.
Conclusion
In summary, while perfection is an elusive and often counterproductive goal, excellence promotes a sustainable path of growth, learning, and achievement. It’s not about being flawless; it’s about doing the best you can with what you have and continuously seeking ways to improve.
I encourage you to strive for excellence, not perfection. Remember, perfection is the enemy of progress. But excellence? Excellence is the path to success.