Why being a perfectionist leader is a perfect mess

As you are aware, leaders are not only responsible for their job, but the work of their direct reports. So it should come as no surprise that most leaders expect top performance from their workers and don’t tolerate mediocrity in their workforce.

But what if your high expectations result in you acting as a perfectionist?

In theory, it would seem that exhibiting perfectionist qualities isn’t necessary a terrible thing. On one hand, it means you are dedicated to performing at the top of your game, and will work harder than anyone else to achieve results. But on the other hand, perfectionism has a negative side that can lead to destructive behaviors.

The definition of perfectionism is the idea that a state of completeness and flawlessness can and should be attained. Perfectionists believe that work or output that is anything less than perfect is unacceptable.

This is why many consider perfectionist bosses the hardest to work with because nothing is ever good enough for them. These kinds of bosses have unrealistic expectations and typically present micromanaging characteristics, which can impact the overall morale of the company. In addition, perfectionists can actually get sidetracked by trying to make everything perfect that they end up halting the progress of a project, and can cause the company to miss deadlines.

Perfectionism not only causes the individual plenty of stress and anxiety, but can make other lives miserable as well.

Here are top five signs of perfectionism according to an article in BBC News:

1.) You can't stop thinking about a mistake you made

2) You are intensely competitive and can't stand doing worse than others

3) You demand perfection from other people

4) You won't ask for help if asking can be perceived as a flaw or weakness

5) You are a fault-finder who must correct other people when they are wrong

One way to overcome these perfectionist tendencies is learning to let go and trusting your employees to get the job done.

However, if you’re unsure of how you are perceived (and if you act as a perfectionist), you could be working with blind spots. The more successful you are, the greater your risk of developing blind spots. One of the best ways to get a clear understanding of your strengths and weakness is gather 360 Feedback from those around you. Feedback can give you the opportunity to adjust your behavior and have a bit more balance in your life.

Let’s reflect for a moment, is perfection even possible? What do you think?

Stressed out leaders

All leaders have at least one thing in common: stress.



Brutal schedules, increasing demands, and unrelenting competition all contribute to a stressed out crop of leaders.



In fact, leadership author Henry L. Thompson argues that stress is often the real culprit behind leadership failure. In his book, The Stress Effect, he stated when leaders’ stress levels become elevated – whether in the boardroom or on the front line of the manufacturing process – their ability to make smart decisions is severely impaired.



So, apparently stress is a very real feeling that could become toxic to your career.


When someone is stressed they don’t treat themselves or others very well, they have a quick temper at work or home and become impatient at the smallest details.
And if a leader is stressed out, guess what? It can infect the entire company. No matter how hard a leader tries to hide his or her own emotions, employees will pick up on their boss’ behavior. Leaders do set an example for the workplace, so your attitude and stress levels are actually contagious to your employees. Yep, that’s just another thing to stress out about.

Maybe leaders are so used to being stressed out that they believe it’s a normal condition. To be fair, there are those that say some level of stress is actually a good thing, and it does serve a purpose. But an overabundance of stress is a different story.

Overstressed leaders will get overwhelmed in crisis situations and fail to identify the core issues of the problem. Emotional or unmeasured reactions may actually provoke additional problems, along with sending the message to direct reports that conflicts should be avoided or denied.

An inability to cope with stress will not only cause personal unhappiness, it can also make you ineffective as a leader. While it’s pretty difficult to completely eliminate stress from your life, you can take action to minimize stress. Many times, stress is not only self-induced but is unnecessary.


Here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Instead of getting frustrated when things don’t go as planned, expect change, ambiguity, and frustration at least part of the time. This is normal. Develop your sense of humor; learn not to take yourself too seriously.




• Acknowledge that you are not really in control, as much as you would like to be, and you do not need to be in control of all situations. Consider a past change that you effectively managed and identify steps you took in that situation that you can try here. Realize that maintaining control in an environment of rapid change is different from maintaining control in a static situation.




• Try these stress reducing techniques: learn and apply deep breathing when you are stressed; take a break to listen to relaxing music on your iPod or on Spotify; go for a walk outside; exercise regularly; eat regular meals.




• You need to be able to persevere during the hard times if you are convinced you are on the right course. Before you make a big change: consult with other managers about the decision and analyze what impact the change will have on the organization (both positive and negative).




• Think positively. Instead of telling yourself a task is impossible, tell yourself that you have reached a momentary impasse and that a solution does exist and will eventually come to you.

What tips do you have to help reduce stress?