Leadership: perfectionists need not apply

Perfectionists tend to be high performers in their technical field of expertise, and the quality of their work is independent of the quality of their leader. They will go the extra mile voluntarily (it’s getting them to do less that’s the trick), and they’ll work long hours to deliver results beyond expectation. As long as they have the time they need, and they’re operating within their niche, all is well.

And then one day, they’ve done so well they’re promoted into a leadership role.

What’s the issue?

Leadership is about leading people, and people are imperfect (yes, even perfectionists). And they’re not entirely rational either (even those who think they are).

Leadership is about change, which means making decisions at the right time can be more important than having the right amount of information. Pivoting into uncharted territory sometimes means having to fill in the gaps as you go – it's a case of ‘turn and learn’. Perfectionists though, struggle to see that by the time all the necessary information has been gathered, analysed, interpreted and concluded, either the threat has already materialised, or the opportunity has evaporated.

Leadership is about making judgement calls and being comfortable with ambiguity. Perfectionists on the other hand feel uncomfortable about making black and white decisions while operating in grey areas.

In short, making imperfect decisions with less time and less data than is needed to direct a team of imperfect humans to hit a moving and unpredictable target is tough enough even for those comfortable with making ‘least-worst’, ‘needs-must' and ‘50/50’ decisions. But for perfectionists, it’s several steps too far.

Perfectionists have very high standards, standards that served them very well until their rising star took them up into leadership territory. But that’s where things get messy, and they struggle to optimise in sub-optimal situations.

Activities to consider

If you’re leading leaders with perfectionist tendencies, it’s likely that they will either be frustrated, and/or causing frustration. Their frustration may be the manifestation of working health-damaging hours which still isn’t enough to attain their personal standards. Their staff’s frustration may be the result of being set standards that are perceived to be practically unattainable and often unnecessary.

Consider coaching them to describe what would happen if they only aimed to achieve 80% on tier 2 tasks, giving them the time and resources to aim high on the handful of things that would benefit from their unwavering commitment to excellence.

Help them see the bigger picture that comes with leadership; that being perfect on one initiative has a disproportionately negative effect on other initiatives. There is no such thing as perfection in leadership. The objective isn’t perfection, it’s optimisation.

Try this

Coach your perfectionist to make an imperfect decision. Ask questions, don’t direct. Try to let them figure it out for themselves, with you channelling their thinking with interrogative challenges that help them balance, for example, a lack of data vs. a lack of action.

At HPC, we developed Adaptability Based Leadership with the express purpose of raising productivity through more engaged, better led staff. If that approach resonates, contact me and let’s get you started on the next phase of your journey towards mastering leadership.