Guide for Exceptional Leaders to Achieve Outstanding Results

Leader's Handbook for Pioneering Success: Achieving Exceptional Results

Tracy Nolan, a Fortune 100 executive, board director, and change advisor, is known for her ability to turn moments of change into growth catalysts. In a world where teams often resort to copying successful tactics rather than experimenting due to a lack of time for thoughtful innovation, Nolan stands out.

Nolan's leadership approach is rooted in the concept of "best actual." Instead of setting impossibly high targets, she focuses on daily progress and realistic improvements. This shift in mindset has led her team to consistently achieve new performance metrics, with success building on success.

Perfectionism, however, can limit growth, progress, and overall fulfillment, both personally and professionally. Research shows that perfectionistic tendencies among young adults have increased by up to 32% over the past three decades. This increase in perfectionistic tendencies creates a generation of leaders prone to overprecision and reduced innovation.

Recognizing that you don't have to be perfect can help quiet the mind and reduce the pressure of constantly striving for perfection. Nolan encourages perfectionistic leaders to put themselves in roles or stretch assignments outside their expertise to experience the freedom of not being perfect. Laughing at oneself can also help perfectionistic leaders show their humanity and connect with their team on a more personal level.

Embracing "best actual" over perfection creates space for innovation, growth, and transformative leadership. It helps teams innovate and take calculated risks, as they are not afraid of falling short of impossible benchmarks. Quarterly performance reviews, which can consume a significant amount of time, leaving no room for strategic thinking or innovation, are often a breeding ground for perfectionism.

A recent Harvard Business Review article shared that 82% of employees are at risk of burnout, with excessive workloads and perfectionistic pressures being primary drivers. Nolan's approach to leadership, focused on progress and realistic improvements, can help alleviate some of these pressures and foster a healthier, more innovative work environment.

The Forbes Business Development Council, an invitation-only community for sales and business development executives, is a potential opportunity for those seeking to learn more about transformative leadership and the benefits of embracing "best actual" over perfectionism.