The Path to Consistent Excellence
Do you want to consistently deliver or exceed your personal and professional goals? Do you want to create a healthy workplace culture? Do you want to give more value to your customers than they expect? Follow the path to excellence. Your results will soar and you will develop a reputation for quality.
According to Aristotle, Excellence is not an act, it’s a habit. Those of us who feel accountable will do what is expected of us. But those of us with a habit of excellence will deliver more than is expected and also encourage a culture of excellence in our teams. A habit of excellence builds credibility and trust.
No Pill for Excellence
We live in a world that demands instant “everything.” Instant gratification. Twenty-four-hour service to meet that particular need at 3:00 am. We want to go from blunder to wonder in a heartbeat. The internet is full of “get rich quick” schemes, and many of us spend much time looking for shortcuts to success.
Generally, success requires hard work, but there are a few strategies you can use to accelerate your journey to success. However, delivering excellence is a different story. There seems to be a pill you can take for everything – except getting to excellence.
The Path to Excellence
Excellence requires perseverance and sometimes sacrifice. A habit of excellence is developed through consistency. Therefore, whether we are delivering a service or product, there are no shortcuts to excellence. It’s a habit to be developed. There are a few traits I have observed leaders demonstrate who consistently deliver excellence.
- Commitment. It’s hard to deliver excellence if your heart is not in it. Leaders with a habit of excellence are committed to their purpose and objectives. A committed person leaves it all on the court. They don’t entertain the option of quitting nor look for escape routes. If failure comes, then it’s an opportunity to learn and grow.
- Diligence. Someone once said anything worth doing, is worth doing right. Diligence is carefully and persistently doing what needs to be done. These leaders are focused and have a high level of attention to detail. Their diligence does not allow distractions to blur their vision.
Diligent people do not settle for mediocrity in the name of efficiency
- Resilience. Those who produce high-quality results know the path to success is most often not the easy road. They never give up or give in when barriers and speed bumps surface. These leaders demonstrate toughness to overcome each challenge and a capacity to bounce back from each setback.
- Passion. When we are passionate about what we are doing, our hearts will be in it, and we will give it our best. Leaders who deliver excellence will not settle for anything less than the best. They take pride in their output. Passionate leaders believe in what they do, can easier overcome obstacles, and have a more positive disposition. In other words, they are less frustrated over challenges and see excellence as an intrinsic reward.
The Speed to Excellence
Delivering excellence takes time but does not have to decimate your critical path schedule. There are approaches to accelerate the speed of excellence. What I have observed during more than three decades of delivering value to consumers is that:
- The most efficient way to deliver excellence in a product is through collaboration. The simple math of collaboration says 1+1 = 3. In other words, when you and I collaborate, we add up to more than two. We are better together and can quickly get more done.
- Quality customer service will be accelerated when you put people first.
- Organizational excellence will result in exceeding your targets and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) faster if you demonstrate the skills of a servant leader.
Excellence is going beyond the average or base expectation. The path to excellence means going the extra mile. Sometimes the difference between mediocre and excellence is a simple final touch, like a well-placed rose on a project. When we get on the path of developing a habit of excellence, we will be rewarded with loyalty, support, and results that consistently exceed expectations.
Empowered Leader Reflection:
What is one thing you do to consistently ensure excellence personally or professionally?
Would you help us grow by adding your comment in the reply section below?
