Many of us say, Let us strive for excellence. It’s a worthy goal, setting high standards for ourselves and others. But it has a shadow side. Striving for excellence can be mistaken for pursuing perfectionism, which is always just beyond the horizon. This unattainable standard can lead to procrastination, unnecessary delays, or even paralysis—the fear of making an imperfect move keeping us from making any move at all.
Sometimes, Imperfectionism might serve us better. In The Pinball Theory of Business & Life, I discuss the phrase, “Oh, that comes with experience.” Part of experience is knowing when to push for excellence and when good enough is good enough. Time constraints, the importance of the work, and mounting costs all factor into this judgment. Those who grow the most seem to have figured out how to strike this balance.
Mistakes Teach
If we always insist on excellence to avoid big mistakes, minor errors, criticism, or embarrassment, we might succeed in making fewer mistakes—but we’ll also rob ourselves of learning opportunities. If we accept that good enough is sometimes appropriate, we might not collect as many gold stars, but we will gain experience, resilience, and growth.
We typically learn more from our mistakes than from perfectly executed maneuvers. Parents who overprotect their children from life’s inevitable bumps and bruises may keep them from harm in the short term. But in doing so, they deprive them of the experience needed to navigate life’s challenges later—often to the frustration of both the parents and the child.
Thomas Edison, the epitome of an inventor, and Rick Rubin, a legendary record producer, share something critical in how they view “mistakes” relative to failure and success. They remind us that mistakes aren’t dead ends—they’re just part of the process.
Edison famously responded to a journalist asking how it felt to fail 1,000 times in his attempt to invent the incandescent lightbulb: “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The lightbulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.” Rubin, renowned for guiding artists through the creative process, shared similar wisdom: We’re all creative, not just the ‘artists.’ Who can say what’s success? In a creative life, there are peaks and valleys… all in pursuit of long-term work. We need to be true to ourselves and not just listen to others—because nobody knows. ‘Failed’ things may lead to something else.
How Much To Share?
Leaders may be stumbling through their own worries and fears as they try to figure out what to do and say. They must be careful how they share the trouble with different audiences. Balancing brutal honesty and credible hope is no cakewalk. They won’t help the situation or the team by tossing the same hot potato at everybody.
Share a Lot – If there’s a solid Executive Committee (or trustworthy advisors), the leader can candidly discuss the situation. The officers surely can provide support and might offer good ideas. The leader could benefit from unburdening – helping lower stress, leading to better decisions.
Share a Little – When leaders address the same issue with lower-level managers and workers, they should expose less trepidation and self-doubt. These employees are entitled to honesty and some hope, if it exists, and to just know serious work is afoot.
Room for Mistakes?
Brené Brown, professor, and New York Times bestselling author, puts it bluntly: There is no innovation and creativity without failure. Period.
If leaders create an environment where only excellence is acceptable and mistakes are intolerable, they stifle creativity. Team members, fearing punishment, will avoid risks, hesitate to experiment, and resist innovation. Without room for good-faith failures, an organization will stagnate.
That said, not all mistakes are equal. We can make space for honest missteps—those not caused by laziness, carelessness, or reckless rushing—while still expecting high standards. When failure results from genuine effort, we can even honor it as a step toward progress.
Gaps
I once introduced a simple reporting process to help our team learn from mistakes rather than fear them. I called it the GAP Report, a format identifying the gap between what we intended to do and what happened. The team assumed the report was a punitive tool, a way to assign blame. I explained its purpose in a team meeting:
We all make mistakes. When possible, clean up after yourself. If appropriate, report it. The company hired us because we’re competent, we help each other, and we serve clients well. We want to avoid unnecessary costs, protect the company’s reputation, and take pride in our work. There’s nothing punitive about learning from honest mistakes.
GAP Reports became routine. We never shamed anyone—we focused on solutions. In learning from our mistakes, we minimized future ones.
Savor Success
All is not Mistakes. Success might come easily and often, or it may feel hard-won and fleeting. Either way, when it arrives, it deserves to be savored before we rush on to the next challenge.
Leaders have the discretion to recognize company achievements in various ways. They know how to pause and savor. But success isn’t just for top leaders. Employees also achieve victories—some small, some significant. When leaders recognize and celebrate these moments, they help team members take pride in their contributions. Even simple gestures can create an atmosphere of appreciation and motivation.
There may be little time to savor before other activities and issues overtake us, but it’s such a pleasant and energizing practice. Savoring success, even briefly, brings balance to the constant pressure and demands of the workplace. It reinforces that hard work is valued, not just expected.
Celebrating achievements—no matter how big or small—boosts morale, strengthens team camaraderie, and enhances job satisfaction. The best leaders understand that recognition isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity for building a loyal, motivated team. Promote it. Vinny Ferraro captures the essence of savoring:
Don’t cheat on the present with the past and the future
