back to insights & resources
Some mornings I wonder why I go to Starbucks. Without fail, the barista who makes my cappuccino has a look on her face that says, “My Life Sucks.” It’s rare that my cappuccino ends up being anything other than luke-warm milk poured over a shot of espresso. Yet I go back day after day which is the textbook definition of insanity.
AVERAGE is everywhere you look. We can’t escape it. We’re the #1 country in the world, but most of us are just average. Ponder that dichotomy.
I ask myself how many police officers are just AVERAGE? How many of them default to standing on a street corner day-after-day instead of walking a beat?
Likewise, how many school teachers are just AVERAGE? How many of them neglect their lesson plans or have given up on tutoring students 1:1 before or after school?
How many doctors (surgeons) are just AVERAGE? How many of them haven’t updated their knowledge or skill set for a decade or longer?
How many financial advisors are just AVERAGE? How many of them under-perform benchmark indices year-after-year?
I am in awe of professionals who possess an unquenchable thirst for EXCELLENCE. Anecdotally, they pursue excellence for the benefit of others; not themselves. Altruism, therefore, defines the best police officers, teachers, doctors and financial advisors.
Do we have a moral obligation to do better than AVERAGE? If we think about the consequences of not delivering excellence, how can the answer be anything other than YES. Being rigorously honest, I don’t know what motivates me more - the desire for excellence or the fear of being average? I do know, however, it’s not in my DNA to disappoint people when they depend on me!
You’ll be glad to know, I broke the cycle of insanity and fired Starbucks. Now I go to a French Cafe with a welcoming counter attendant, and a barista who makes my cappuccino as if it were a work-of-art. Finally, the homemade chocolate croissants are out-of-this-world!
Jul 01, 2024
Average Isn’t Good Enough
AVERAGE is everywhere you look. We can’t escape it. We’re the #1 country in the world, but most of us are just average. Ponder that dichotomy.
I ask myself how many police officers are just AVERAGE? How many of them default to standing on a street corner day-after-day instead of walking a beat?
Likewise, how many school teachers are just AVERAGE? How many of them neglect their lesson plans or have given up on tutoring students 1:1 before or after school?
How many doctors (surgeons) are just AVERAGE? How many of them haven’t updated their knowledge or skill set for a decade or longer?
How many financial advisors are just AVERAGE? How many of them under-perform benchmark indices year-after-year?
I am in awe of professionals who possess an unquenchable thirst for EXCELLENCE. Anecdotally, they pursue excellence for the benefit of others; not themselves. Altruism, therefore, defines the best police officers, teachers, doctors and financial advisors.
Do we have a moral obligation to do better than AVERAGE? If we think about the consequences of not delivering excellence, how can the answer be anything other than YES. Being rigorously honest, I don’t know what motivates me more - the desire for excellence or the fear of being average? I do know, however, it’s not in my DNA to disappoint people when they depend on me!
You’ll be glad to know, I broke the cycle of insanity and fired Starbucks. Now I go to a French Cafe with a welcoming counter attendant, and a barista who makes my cappuccino as if it were a work-of-art. Finally, the homemade chocolate croissants are out-of-this-world!
Share