Average leaders raise the bar on themselves. Good leaders raise the bar for others. Great leaders inspire others to raise their own bar. – Orrin Woodward
Having standards is simply having consistency, that’s all it is. Most people can perform at 100% for a short time or for an exceptional circumstance, but being able to consistently perform at the same level day in and day out, that’s what success is made from. And you don’t even need to give 100%. Even if you only give 40%, but consistently give 40% each and every day and do it long enough, with time you will be able to give more for less because you get better at it.
And that’s why having and imposing standards are so beneficial and honestly crucial for the success of any business.
You can think of standard as a diet. Any person on this whole wide earth can go through 1 day of clean diet, but since repetition is the key of success, being able to extend that good diet over 2 weeks, 2 months or even 2 years is the challenging part.
And that is precisely what an average leader can manage to do. He can set good standards for himself and go through with them. A good leader can not only manage that for himself but can also impose higher standards for those around him.
The measure of greatness is spotted when a great leader is able to inspire others to set good standards for themselves. What makes a great leader great is that the people he inspires are people who want to and start on the leadership path themselves.