Jim Collins, author of Good to Great (Harper Business, 2001), has said that “Good is often the enemy of great.” That may be true, but I also believe that good is often good enough, and too much focus on greatness can be the enemy of good. Most of us would be happy with good performance, a good life, and good friends and relationships. However, it seems like it’s human nature to strive for greatness when in charge of companies. This is more inspirational, more of the accepted standard of achievement, continuous improvement, excellence in everything we do; all this seems to be a natural instinct for most leaders.

Being an effective leader, striving for excellence, and being inspirational are essential aspects of creating a great company. There’s no doubt that during these tough economic times this average is not good enough. Look around. If you have average-performing employees who can’t seem to reach the level of performance that’s in alignment with your vision, now is the time to do something about it.

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