Fresh on the heels of my last post about the importance of excellence, I want to consider some of the downsides of chasing perfection. Here’s what happens when perfection becomes the end and not the means.

• Innovation goes out the window. In order to stay perfect, you’ll stick to what you know…and not do what you think might fail. You’ll stagnate and your effectiveness will wane.

• People get left behind. In order to stay perfect, you’ll cut out anyone who makes mistakes. Development goes out the window. Your team will shrink.

• Grace is non-existent. In order to stay perfect, you’ll drive your team to death. Grace for mistakes will be non-existent. Your team will shrink.

• You lose the vision. In order to stay perfect, you’ll focus on perfection and maintaining perfection. You’ll lose sight of the greater vision of what you should be doing. Your effectiveness will wane.

Excellence is important, but perhaps innovation and trying new things is more important. In order to do that, you have to be willing to fail. Failure is not the end. Failure to try is.

Just don’t ever use this as an excuse to be lazy. If anything, it should make you work harder.

What else happens when perfection becomes the focus?