Perfectionism vs Healthy Striving
High Performance Leadership Requires Understanding the Difference
In days gone by, it was enough for a leader to be the one who knew the most in the room. Today’s leadership requires levels of self-awareness, emotional and connectional intelligence that many leaders have not had the time or awareness to develop.
Personal and professional development that assist a leader's capacity to see "the potential in people and processes and the courage to develop that potential” is a journey; well worth your time and attention. One of the most significant challenges for leaders of today is to become aware of and managing what we believe. Our brains are busy making sense of so much information. It’s easy to jump to conclusions about ourselves, the people and the processes in our workplaces that are not 100% true.
As leaders, raising our level of self-awareness helps us to check beliefs or stories that may or may not serve our organization well. One pit that many of us fall into, particularly if we are not aware that the pit it there, is perfectionism.
Understanding the difference between perfectionism and healthy striving requires careful examination.
Perfectionism is a “self-destructive and addictive belief system”.
Healthy striving is a motivation that comes from a very different place and fuels the health of individuals and organizations.
Perfectionism is “armour”, a defence mechanism, that has a way of hiding our best selves. It drives behaviour that ends up creating disconnection.
Healthy striving has the reverse effect, empowering our most authentic voice, resilience, and greater connection in the workplace.
The difference is subtle and isn’t necessarily observable.
Our long term health and capacity as leaders depends on understanding and leveraging this distinction.
Take your leadership and your organization to the next level with new thoughts, tools and awareness.
Explore new ways to lead, parent and manage your relationships both in and out of work!