During February, this leadership column will focus on the importance of incorporating aspects of love into your daily leadership activities to help you become a more effective leader.

Perfectionism kills performance. It is a silent saboteur. In your quest for flawlessness, productivity, innovation, and success suffer. Originating from childhood messages, perfectionist tendencies spread, damaging relationships, eroding trust, causing burnout, and risking the loss of crucial talent within teams.

Emily, CEO of a tech firm, held herself and her team to high excellence standards. Despite success, her insatiable pursuit of perfection left her feeling inadequate. Projects had to be carried out flawlessly and she meticulously scrutinized every detail. Micromanagement drained her team’s energy and motivation.

But while Emily put forward a polished exterior, inside she battled the raging war of perfectionism. Nothing felt like it was enough.

When Emily began to take an honest look at the genesis of her perfectionist tendencies– a dysfunctional childhood that drove her to constantly feel like she wasn’t measuring up – and change her behavior patterns, she found joy in work, fostering a more positive environment for herself and her team.

Perfectionism damages your organizational culture in the following ways:

1. Unrealistic Standards Breed Fear of Failure: Cultures where mistakes are taboo create unsafe workplaces. Teams fearing judgment for being wrong hinder adaptability and success in competitive markets by shunning risk and innovation.

• Micromanagement Undermines Trust and Autonomy: Perfectionist leaders micromanage, hindering collaboration and empowerment. Micromanagement fosters resentment, silos, and disengagement among employees, impeding productivity and morale.

• Perfectionism Leads to Analysis Paralysis: Striving for perfection halts decision-making, consuming time, and resources. Fear of making mistakes prolongs deliberation, hindering progress. In the fast-paced business world, indecision is costly; organizations must prioritize agility over perfection.

How To Reduce Perfectionist Attitudes

1. Develop Your Self-Awareness:  This is a must-do! Empathetic leadership necessitates self-awareness. Understanding one’s emotional reactions and managing them is crucial. Recognizing the roots of perfectionism enables leaders to address their needs effectively, paving the way for adaptive strategies and growth.
2. Accept that the “Not Good Enough” Feeling is a Belief and Not Reality: Perfectionists seek motivation through their “not good enough” feeling, influenced by societal messages. The pursuit of approval fosters a relentless quest for adequacy, an unattainable standard. What is “good enough” anyway?
3. Use Healthy Techniques to Manage Expectations: Perfectionists tend to think they can do everything and that they must do it at a 100% level, and they expect others to work at these levels. Using decision-making tools, like prioritizing tasks and delegating, can alleviate self-imposed pressure, fostering a more sustainable approach to productivity and teamwork.
4. Practice Trust: Start noticing when you feel like you’re not trusting yourself or your team. Ask yourself “What might be causing my lack of trust?”  “Is there a legitimate reason for it?” And particularly with your teams…. give them space and autonomy. Provide guidance and support but avoid micromanaging every aspect of their work.

Perfectionism poses a significant threat to both love and performance within organizations, undermining collaboration, innovation, and overall effectiveness. By adopting a more compassionate and inclusive leadership approach, leaders can mitigate the damaging effects of perfectionism, fostering a culture of resilience, growth, and genuine connection.

Next Steps

• Watch our YouTube Webinar entitled:  Are We Performing Ourselves to Death? where we further discuss how perfectionism detracts from business success.
• Subscribe to my newsletter for great ideas to further develop your leadership effectiveness.
• Visit our website at Transformation Strategies for lots of free resources.
• Follow me on LinkedIn
• If you like to work with a coach to help you develop your self-awareness and emotional intelligence, book a call with me to chat!
• Want to share with MONTCO readers how your business is developing its emotional intelligence?  We’d love to highlight you!  Contact me at tsteege@transformstrat.com.