Page 90 - Free Yourself From

Embracing Good Enough 73

____ A fear of failure.

____ A strong need to please others.

____ The illusion of self-imposed standards. You assume that
your standards are what everyone else will hold you to.

You might feel that by always setting standards that are higher
than everyone else’s, and succeeding in meeting them, you’re achiev-
ing great things. But if it creates a fear of failure, makes you risk-
averse, and doesn’t allow for any mistakes, ever . . . well, that’s
limiting. The old saying, nothing ventured, nothing gained, is espe-
cially true in business. You need to be able to take measured risks and
put yourself out on a limb once in a while to grow and draw the
attention of your company’s top decision makers.
In addition, perfection can be a form of tunnel vision and that can
backfire on you, too. As the anecdote about Sarah showed, no one
wants someone on their team, either above or below them, who isn’t
responsive to their colleagues’ needs and priorities. In addition, no
one wants to work for a boss who doesn’t trust them, doesn’t give
them real responsibility, always has to quiz them and “fix” their
work, and who doesn’t tolerate mistakes. Another word for perfec-
tionist is micro-manager. These bosses have trouble maintaining staff,
managing morale, and keeping productivity where it should be, and
higher-ups notice that and only let these people rise so far.

Micromanager Traits

We’ve already looked at some of the ways that micro-managing can
become an obstacle for advancement.
If you remain mired in the details of the work others are doing,
you won’t be recognized as a strategic thinker or collaborative leader,