In my work as a coach, I have found that most middle managers and top executives (CFOs, COOs and some CEOs) have developed the skills to blend reason, logic, emotion and insight. They rely on these tools to affirm their sense of purpose—a strategy that helps them solve and avoid problems, while providing motivation and comfort. But taken to extreme, their pursuit for excellence becomes an unattainable quest for perfection.
Perfectionists strive for excellence and virtue in everything they do, notes psychotherapist and leadership consultant Beatrice Chestnut, PhD, in The 9 Types of Leadership: Mastering the Art of People in the 21st Century Workplace (Post Hill Press, 2017). Their quest, however, manifests as a noticeable compulsion and calculated culture that alienates many employees.
When this topic comes up with my coaching clients, we discuss the three domains of perfectionism:
- Self-oriented perfectionism (imposing an unrealistic desire to be perfect on oneself)
- Other-oriented perfectionism (imposing unrealistic standards of perfection on others)
- Socially-prescribed perfectionism (perceiving unrealistic expectations of perfection from others)
The Driving Force of Perfection at Work
Our quest for perfection at work is often driven by a need for security, consistency, rules and logical order. These guiding rules have been set by a higher authority (a father figure, strict conscience or “the way things have always been done”). The irony is that in the pursuit of perfection, one focuses on avoiding failure – the primary fear for most leaders. Leaders caught up in fear are unable to achieve perfection, let alone progress.
As Brené Brown, PhD, writes in The Gifts of Imperfection (Hazelden, 2010):
Perfectionism is not the same thing as striving to be your best. Perfection is not about healthy achievement and growth…Healthy striving is self-focused: ‘How can I improve?’ Perfectionism is other-focused: ‘What will they think?’
Though perfection is truly unattainable, perfectionistic leaders remain unconvinced. They continue to manage for perfection, rather than progress. Perfectionistic managers push for their desired outcomes, even as the consequences of their actions call for corrections.
If you spot some of these tendencies in your behavior, you may, indeed, be a perfectionist. Despite your best intentions, you could be causing your people and organization to struggle. The more you focus on raising the bar, the less likely you are to see the harmful effects on those around you. What do you think? I’d love to hear from you. You can call me at 561-582-6060, let’s talk. And as always, I can be reached here or on LinkedIn.
