Pulling the Plug on Perfectionism

Perfectionism is the enemy of progress, and it’s a girl trap that I am constantly arming my female clients to defeat.  Leadership is tough, especially when stepping into it for the first time,  driving an unpopular — but necessary — initiative  or when speaking against the conventional.  A desire for perfection, if she lets it, will sabotage a woman’s ambition, credibility, ability to lead and paralyze her ability to act.

Striving for perfection is such a common girl trap as, unlike men, we mistakenly feel we need all the answers before we speak or act.  As rising leaders in a time of constant change — demanding innovative,  creative solutions —  we have to tolerate uncertainty,  accept risk and make the best, reasoned decisions given the information we have.  As a result, we may not always get it right but if we can’t risk sometimes getting it wrong, we aren’t leading from the front.

So, the dtkMindset —  in addition to being a cornerstone of evolved leadership —creates the  space for the critical thinking that enables us to contextualize both risk and opportunity by insisting we see what’s happening on the ground as well as the landscape from 10,000 feet. The 21st Century global marketplace demands we do both: if we’re blinded by the need to be perfect, we’ll miss the view!

If we work and wait for perfect, we’ll stay put a long time.

Bottom line: pulling the plug on perfectionism isn’t easy.  I’ve been there.   But, with awareness, help and practice, it is possible.

Your choice.