“In a race to the bottom, everyone loses. Instead, maintain the high standards that you value. Then motivate others to elevate theirs.”
~ Jim Sebastian Sharman
Standard, principles, ethics, morals, red lines, etc. All of us have them – whether as parents, partners, colleagues, or in business. The competition for attention, love, admiration, revenue, market share, [insert category here!] – we find ourselves trapped in competitiveness too often.
And it’s so tempting at times to cut corners to gain the slightest advantage – a tactic that can have the unfortunate side effect of triggering a cascade of lower standards, more often than not before we even have time to readjust and realign with our original standards, principles, etc.
One way to overcome this is to be clear about communicating the high standards you have set yourself – and then, whenever they’re challenged or threatened, be seen to stand firmly by them instead of allowing yourself to be dragged into a race to the bottom – and for what?
Short-term gain is exactly that – it doesn’t last long. To steal a line from the banter of the footballing world (those who know me are aware of my lifelong allegiances there!), form is temporary – class is permanent. We’re aiming here for class…
Assume you manage it – that you adopt a set of standards you know will drive you towards unexpected excellence. One way to do that is to look first at what you yourself consider excellent, and then go further with it.
There will be moments when you fall short. It’s inevitable. Unless you are a living saint, there will be times when you fall short of your own expectations, and that might coincide with falling short of others’ expectations, too.
What then? What to do?
This is where the maintaining what you value part comes in.
Only you can hold yourself responsible for a standard you have raised above that expected of you by others – and this can be a truly empowering position to be in, even a bargaining one.
Regarding leadership qualities, this stance can set you apart in a highly competitive field when it comes to building effective teams around you. Most team members gravitate towards leaders with high standards.
Maintaining yours takes effort. Neither can you, nor should you, hold others responsible for your shortcomings. Our actions are our choices.
So, at moments like these, you get to practise things like presence, humility, acceptance, contrition, and reparation. These, too, can be a standard to which you can hold yourself accountable, and these two can help you stand out as a leader, inspiration, muse, etc.
The more sincerely you practise them, the more likely you will be favourably received – because from another’s perspective, forgiveness is easier when they are faced with sincerity.
All is not lost when errors occur or when standards slip – consider these moments an opportunity for growth, and they could even turn out to be mutually beneficial.
It is said that “To err is human” – well, the real test of character comes after error. So, when that happens, hold yourself responsible for a higher level of sincere acceptance, humility, learning, and even expressions of love (in its many forms).
Even if you didn’t ‘fail’ in someone else’s eyes, practise some self-love by forgiving and trusting yourself to learn and grow. You can expect others to do that if you do!
When all is said and done, you are often judged only as good as the highest standards you’ve displayed. When it comes to raising others’ standards, we need to be effective role models.
Be honest with yourself – when you feel nobody’s watching, do you drop your highest standards just because you feel nobody’s watching…?
Do you maintain your private standards even if you practise them without full visibility? Do you cut corners because you think the actions are ‘hidden’ somehow?
Why would you do that?
What if, instead, you resolve to give everything you do your absolute best? That way, you can know that you are then being the best possible version of yourself.
Maintain your standards and constantly seek to elevate them. That way, you exercise greater influence over your surroundings as you inspire others through your actions.
What about anonymous actions? Well, they shine through anyway – because you know what you did and that feeds into your self-perception, not your self-deception. And others notice them, perhaps correctly guessing that you were responsible – because that’s who you are…
Shine today – even if people don’t see your flame, they’ll feel the heat.
What standards can you sense you’ve allowed to slip? Will you raise them again now? What values do you see working best for you and those around you? Will you amplify them today?
