As leaders, we should be the ones setting the standards in our businesses. One standard that should be compulsory is Excellence. Is Excellence compulsory in your agency?
There is an old saying, “Anything worth doing is worth doing well”. No doubt you have heard this gem. I agree with it wholeheartedly.
If we are going to do anything, shouldn’t we do it well? Personally, I’d rather be known for quality than mediocrity, or carelessness. I am sure you feel the same way. I have great difficulty understanding why anybody would want their name applied to anything less than excellent.
I don’t claim to be the best at everything I do, but I like to think that in everything I do, I give my best. Ask me to do something, and I’ll do my best to deliver something that meets or exceeds your expectations. I regard this as an obligation – if I say I’ll do something for you, as a matter of pride and courtesy, I’m going to give you my best.
Show the way
Leaders must show the way. Whenever we commit to our teams to do something, we give it our best effort. Quality work is a fine example for leaders to set for their team members.
And when we do it, we have every right to expect the same from our team members. We do it, so they must too:
- Do what they say they are going to do, when they said they would do it
- Follow up promptly and courteously
- Study, practise and develop their skills
- Show respect to their team members
- Help their team members
- Give honest, helpful advice to clients
- Set targets that stretch them
- Achieve those targets
- Never give excuses for lack of results
These are just examples, but you get the idea. In business, giving less than your best is a sure path to low profit. Allowing mediocre people to fester on your team sets a bad example to those team members who look to you to set and enforce standards.
Excellence is a standard that no business can afford to do without. Are you serious about building a great business? If you are, you will become the best leader you can become. And you’ll send this message to your entire team:
Be excellent or be gone!