H3 Leadership By Brad LomenickSample

HUSTLE: HOW WILL YOU GET THERE?
A Habit of Excellence: Set Standards That Scare You

Establishing a habit of excellence begins with a core commitment to set a standard that scares the daylights out of you. Some people think excellence means being as good as the next guy. These leaders will take a product or philosophy from someone successful and replicate it. This happens often with pastors who are just trying to be as good a communicator as the preacher down the street. It happens a lot with salespeople who strive to have better numbers than the person in the cubicle next to them.

Greatness is not a destination. It’s a journey. You never arrive at greatness. The goal is to set a standard that scares you to death and then continue trying to raise that standard.

Excellence is what helps a leader and an organization move from competent to exceptional, from good enough to soaring heights. What are the barely attainable standards you can turn into benchmarks? How can you begin pointing to the farthest points on the horizon and then motivating you and your team to race there? These are the practices that will make your organization unusual and force your average competitors to begin mimicking you rather than the other way around.

The quality of work we do is not just about bragging rights. It’s about stewardship. We serve a great God who doesn’t settle for average. God has created the world (and you) with excellence and purpose, and God has buried gifts inside of you that can create excellent products and build excellent organizations.

Committing to a habit of excellence just means doing great things with the tools God has entrusted to you.

Serving God should elevate our level of excellence in every part of our lives, not lower it. Don’t wait on a company handbook or your boss to provide you with a standard of excellence. Allow your faith to be the standard that pushes you to greatness. Choose to be so great that people can’t ignore you.

Centuries later, the apostle Paul echoes and modifies the Old Testament teachings on excellence by saying, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Glorify God by being the greatest leader, parent, neighbor, classmate, friend, and employee.

The glory of God?

Talk about a scary standard.