Set High Standards

Some people have greatness thrust upon them. Few have excellence thrust upon them. . . . They achieve it. They do not achieve it unwittingly by doing what comes naturally and they don't stumble into it in the course of amusing themselves. All excellence involves discipline and tenacity of purpose.”
-John W. Gardner, Founder Common Cause and The Independent Sector


According to popular evangelist Joel Osteen, Americans often suffer from low expectations and low self-esteem. We fail to set high standards for ourselves, and as a result we fail to achieve at higher levels.

Many companies fall prey to the same syndrome. They lapse into a comfort zone, relying on tried and true systems, the usual procedures, and the same old standards that were established at a different time and place than today. Critics of the American automotive industry cite its failure in this area as a key factor in the rise and eventual dominance of the Japanese auto industry.

Our society today expects corporations and their leaders to set high standards for performance, accountability and quality. The higher the standards, the more respect and esteem consumers and shareholders will attribute to the company.

As a CEO, it is up to you to set and keep lofty standards. CEO easily could stand for “chief excellence officer” in today’s world, because of the demand for quality.

Within the structure of your own organization, you have to find a way to communicate the importance of high standards. It will set you apart from the competition, if you do it correctly.

(c) 2008 Adonis E. Hoffman