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Great Leaders Hold People to High Standards

By February 6, 2012Leadership

I make no apologies.

I continue to challenge the people I lead. I expect a lot of them. I try to be fair. I’m a strong advocate for family time. I embrace the flexible workplace. But, I am always pushing people to be better. I challenge people to live up to their full potential and I’m dissatisfied with a mediocre performance.

(You can read the non-negotiables to serve on my team HERE.)

Please note, I’m not there yet, but I’m striving to be a great leader.

There is a huge difference in challenging people to live up to expectations and being a controlling leader.

Great leaders hold people to high standards.

Jesus held people to a high standard. He didn’t like half-hearted devotion. Why should we?

(BTW, I wrote about controlling leadership HERE and HERE.)

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Ron Edmondson

Author Ron Edmondson

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Join the discussion 8 Comments

  • Agreed Ron! And, they always keep raising the bar every time so that complacency / lethargy never sets in.

  • So true man. Don't know if I've seen much said about this, but you nailed it.

  • Bryan K
    Twitter:
    says:

    I have always tried to hold people to a high standard, as well as myself, and am usually considered too hard, or trying for perfection. I always look at myself to be sure I’m not saying one thing and doing another, mixed signals. I have tried to keep people close that would keep me accountable; that helps! I know perfection is not the point, but why should we lower our expections for one another simply, as one person put it, well, God understands! God understands everything, He’s God! That doesn’t mean He will bless it.

  • Jon says:

    Amen. My oldest son, while basically a good boy, could be somewhat on the lazy side. When he was in high school he started to work at a Chick-Fil-A. I got there one night early to pick him up and sat in the car watching him cleaning the floors and marveled at how hard he was working. At some point we asked him about which manager he liked the best and he mentioned a certain one and when we asked why he responded that it was because he was fair, but really expected a lot and really made him work.

  • Peter Walters says:

    Great post Ron. At one point in my ministry I would think; "I know these people are busy and I'm just glad they show up." Now I have changed my mind. Why are we willing to lower our standards for the Kingdom? Let's encourage people to put their best foot forward for things that will make an eternal difference.

    • ronedmondson says:

      Thanks Peter. It's even harder with volunteers, but it's hard to hold people accountable to standards we've not defined.