Gather Around, Growth Alliance Members,
Welcome to Loden’s Leadership Conversations! Today, Let’s Explore: Why 90% Is Good Enough
Gather Around, Growth Alliance Members:
Have You Ever Been Stuck Striving for Perfection?
Imagine this: You’re leading a project, and your team is stuck debating minor details, trying to craft the perfect plan. Deadlines slip, momentum fades, and frustration builds. Sound familiar?
The truth is, in leadership, perfection can be the enemy of progress. Striving for 100% certainty often leads to delays, indecision, and missed opportunities. Instead, aiming for 90%—with room to adapt—can move your team forward while keeping you flexible as a leader.
When 90% Isn’t Good Enough
Let’s be clear—there are exceptions to this rule. In life-critical situations like heart surgery or aviation, 100% precision is non-negotiable. But most leadership decisions don’t carry that level of risk.
For example:
• A marketing campaign doesn’t need to be perfect to launch—it needs to be timely.
• A team strategy doesn’t have to predict every variable—it needs to provide clear direction.
By recognizing when 90% is good enough, you free yourself to lead with agility and confidence.
Why Perfection Stalls Progress
1. Over-Analyzing Kills Momentum
How many projects have stalled because teams are paralyzed by overthinking? Waiting for perfection often leads to missed opportunities.
Key Insight: If your plan feels 80-90% right, move forward and adjust as you go.
2. Flexibility Is Built Into Great Plans
No plan is perfect. The best plans are adaptable, allowing for calculated risks and adjustments.
Example: Early in my career, I delayed launching a district initiative because I wanted it to be flawless. Looking back, the delays didn’t make it better—they only slowed progress. Now, I embrace moving forward at 90%, trusting that flexibility will fill the gaps.
Consensus: A Tool for Progress
What Consensus Really Means
Consensus doesn’t require unanimous agreement. Instead, it’s about ensuring everyone has a voice and can commit to moving forward, even if they don’t fully agree.
Key Insight: Consensus sounds like this: “I’m ready,” “I can live with it,” or “Let’s figure it out.”
Practical Steps for Building Consensus
1. Present Options: Always offer at least three viable paths forward. A single option can lead to blind spots.
2. Incorporate Feedback: Engage your team and stakeholders to vet solutions and address concerns.
3. Commit Fully: Once a decision is made, everyone must align and execute with fidelity—no exceptions.
Example: During a strategic planning meeting, your team agrees to a course of action. Even those who were hesitant initially must publicly support the decision. Anything less undermines trust and progress.
Leadership in Action: Balancing Vulnerability and Commitment
As a leader, you won’t always love every decision, but your ability to fully commit once a path is chosen is critical.
Key Insight: When leaders model vulnerability—admitting they don’t have all the answers—and commitment to decisions, they set a powerful example for their teams.
Reflection Questions for Your Leadership Journey
1. What’s one decision you’ve delayed because you were waiting for perfection?
2. How can you better incorporate flexibility into your planning process?
3. What steps can you take to foster consensus and ensure full team commitment?
What’s one step you can take this week to embrace progress over perfection? Whether it’s moving forward with a key decision or fostering stronger consensus within your team, take action today.
If you’re ready to strengthen your leadership impact and build a culture of trust and progress, let’s connect. Together, we can turn challenges into opportunities.
May your leadership journey be rich with purpose, relationships, resilience, and discovery. I look forward to exploring new insights together in our next post.
