What you didn't know about perfectionism
You know that friend who always seems to have it all together? The one whose life looks picture-perfect on social media? Well, let me tell you a secret: perfectionism isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Here's the thing about perfectionism that most people don't realize: it's not really about being perfect. It's about being scared. Scared of messing up, scared of what others might think, scared of not being good enough.
I remember when I first started leading teams. I'd stay late, double-checking every email, every presentation, every decision. I thought I was just being thorough. But really? I was terrified of making a mistake.
The kicker is, all that worrying and checking didn't make me a better leader. It just made me stressed and indecisive. And you know what? It rubbed off on my team too. They became afraid to take risks or share new ideas.
But here's the good news: it doesn't have to be this way. We don't have to be perfect to be good leaders. In fact, showing our team that it's okay to make mistakes can be powerful. It gives them permission to try new things, to be creative, to learn and grow.
So next time you feel that urge to make everything just right, take a deep breath. Ask yourself: "Am I doing this to do a good job, or am I just scared?" Choose to be brave instead of perfect. Your team will thank you for it.
Remember, the best leaders aren't the ones who never mess up. They're the ones who show us how to learn from our mistakes and keep moving forward. That's the kind of leader we can all strive to be – perfectly imperfect.