Perfection – Not a strength!

I’ve witnessed people proudly identify as perfectionists; I certainly was one of the guilty ones. For a long time, I wore the perfectionist badge proudly and believed perfectionism was a strength. I believed it reflected my high standards and dedication. But is it really a strength or just an obstacle masquerading as one!

In the early years of my career, I saw perfection as something to strive for. I genuinely believed it was my greatest strength – the relentless drive to get everything ‘just right’. And for a while, especially as an individual contributor, it did serve me well. Over time I began to see that what looked like a 6 to me could very well be a 9 to someone else. It’s about the angle you are looking from. That’s the thing about perfection – it’s not objective, it’s a point of view. It isn’t something we achieve but something we perceive – shaped not by absolutes but fluid, personal and forever shifting.

My idea of perfection was shaped by the sum of my experiences, the weight of my expectations, and the influences of my assumptions – just like everyone else’s.

Perfectionism often comes at a steep cost.  It leads to stress, burn-outs, inability to delegate, fostering fear of failure and a closed mind. It limits potential, innovation slows, collaboration withers, ownership narrows.

As I journeyed through various roles and seasons of my life, I saw that my conception of perfection weighed me down and held me back rather than push me forward.  I cannot pinpoint the exact moment things changed. No dramatic epiphany, no clear turning point. It was subtle, quiet. More like a shift you’d only notice on hindsight. In time, I learnt that excellence doesn’t always arise from meticulous control but from the courage to trust, accept and let go. There is profound wisdom in accepting an alternate solution – to allow momentum, collaboration, and completion. I have learnt to control my desire to protect outcomes, that it is often better to advance with a solution that is collectively agreed than endlessly chase a flawless outcome.

With that I stopped confusing perfection with value. Now, I strive for progress rather than aiming for perfection. Letting go of perfection has not been about accepting mediocrity – instead about creating space for growth, innovation and shared success. It has been about seeing someone else’s 6 and about changing perspectives. Letting go of ‘my’ perfection has ultimately been about learning to recognise and respect someone else’s version of perfect.