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Writer's pictureEric Sweiven

Be Excellent to Each Other

Ok, so I am a bit of a geek - I really love the movie, “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure”


Not only because Keanu is in it. Not only because George Carlin is in it.


But mostly because, of the phrase, “Be Excellent to Each Other!”


Excellence in Life, Work, and Relationships is something sorely missing with many people. Too often we settle, even argue for mediocrity. Its as if we desire nothing else than to be average in many areas of our life.


This is unfortunate.


How to be Excellent


Being excellent is not a trick, secret, or special 5 point process. Although these might help. Bineg excellent is all about making power moves. Moving with power means we make decisions from a place of strong personal conviction. It is a daily decision.


Not about being perfect, but striving each day to make decisions to move the marker forward. First, you need to be sure you have a set of strong personal convictions.


Do you have a set of personal convictions?

Why do you do what you do?

What change are you working towards?


Guiding principles that inform the decisions you make. Excellence can only happen when fueled by a set of strong personal convictions.


Leaders who make excellence a habit work at it daily. They build a pyramid with a stong based of prior decisions and the learning form those. Slowly adding, decision by decision to the structure.


This process of making decisions also develops your integrity. Your actions create more opportunities, eventually you will be known as a strong leader who always strives for excellence.


Too many choose mediocrity. Mediocrity is the opposite of excellence. Not doing “nothing” as many might believe.


Have you ever heard, “Not making a decision, IS a decision”- that is the essence of mediocrity. To not choose to strive for excellence is to choose mediocrity.


Too many leaders choose to be “excellent” only when others are looking as a way to impress. Or they choose excellence when they want something. Their “excellent” activity is a thinly disguised manipulative method, not a daily habit of improvement.


Now’s the time to take a stand and Be Excellent!


Your staff needs it.

Your community needs it.

Your career demands it.


Here are some forces that might be preventing you from being excellent -they are what I call “excellent blocks” (I do enjoy a good pun!).


Procrastination

Procrastination is a huge excellence block. Putting of tasks and chores only serves to allow them to build up and become monkeys on our backs. Don’t allow yourself to put things off. Make a habit of doig the hardest items on your to-do list first each day. Ask for help. Connect with a peer for some back and accountability. Knowing that someoneis gogin to chck in on you and ask “Did you get it done?” helps to set your mind on completing the task.


Good enough (for Government work)

Good enough is not good enough. My uncle used to always say, “Good enough for government work.” when he’d doing something mediocre. He’d make a joke out being mediocre! When I was a kid it was sort of funny. But now as an adult Iam horrified! If you find yourslef saying, that’s good enough, take a step back and re-evaluate. What can you do to take it up a knotch? What cna you add to move it closer to excellent?

Remember: we’re not talking perfection here, but constant improvement toward excellence.


Vince Lombari said, “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.”

Trusting feelings

Let’s face it, our fellingas are fickle. Are they important, of course, but not 100% of the time. Jus because we feel good about something doesn’t not mean it is excellent. Remember we are guided by our principles, our core beliefs - those are the measure for our excellence. Does our project meet those expectations? Not, “does it feel good?”


No goals or vision of future

As leaders we must have goals and action steps to accomplish those goals. Without vision, the people parish. We need to ull form our goals to inspire and lead those in our care toward the mountain top! There is no way to be excellent without goals. There is no measure without goals. There is no next step without goals.


Finally, to truly do excellent work you must love what you do. If you have no passion in your day to day actions then excellence is not possible. Love for your work is the fuel that helps put action into place to avoid the blocks we discussed above.


Do what you love to be excellent.

Remember this is a daily - life long pursuit and practice.

The daily acts, step-by-step are what build your skills and become perseverance - do the small things, each day. Make a decision to fight the blocks and work through your habits to end each day with more steps toward excellence. A perfect day is one full of learning and reflection on where you were excellent.


Celebrate those moments and when your staff strive for excellsne- with yoru lead and modeling you staff will begin to risk more and not allow fear, doubt or worry to overpower their desire to be excellent.


So, now go Be Excellent.

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