The pursuit of perfection is often lauded in the creative industries, but as a leadership trait it can also be disempowering and corrosive. Executive coach and Global Head of Creative Talent at The Talent Business, Tanya Livesey, has some advice on how to deal with extreme perfectionism.
The relationship between creativity and perfectionism is a complex one. Scratch beneath the surface and most of the ‘greats’ in any creative field were probably perfectionists. From Beethoven to Kubrick, from Michelangelo to Gehry – the quest for perfection has led to some of the most astonishing feats of human endeavour and creative masterpieces throughout history.
But extreme perfectionism comes at a high personal price. Ironically psychologists call it ‘flawed thinking’ and it leads to an ‘all or nothing’ outlook that allows no margins for error, leaving its sufferers highly prone to anxiety. Plagued by feelings of inadequacy, perfectionists will continue to strive for impossible ideals. As so tragically dramatised in the film Black Swan, the obsessive pursuit of perfection can be highly destructive. For every realised masterpiece there is a Magnum Opus that never saw the light of day because of the artists’ fears of not attaining their own impossibly high standards. Michelangelo smashed up his last great statue, Duomo Pieta, out of frustration at what he perceived as its flaws. As Leonardo Da Vinci once said, “Art is never finished, only abandoned.”
But despite its many negative aspects, there is no doubt that the pursuit of perfection can lead to extraordinary achievements. As such, being ‘a perfectionist’ is still revered in creative circles. But here’s the rub – whilst perfectionists can make great creatives and artists – can perfectionists also make great creative leaders?
In truth, whilst the constant quest for mastery of your craft may have fuelled your success as a creative, it can undermine the excellence that you set out to achieve once you become a leader. And therein lies the paradox of perfectionism. Whilst high standards are desirable, when these become extreme they can have a crippling impact, not just on you but on those around you too. Whilst you may be prepared to suffer for your art, it may not be productive to have everyone else suffering with you. As such, you need to recognise when your perfectionistic thinking might be getting out of hand.
There’s no doubt about it, having high standards delivers great work and striving for brilliance often pays off. As Peter Sims says in his book Little Bets, “being rigorous about spotting flaws and continuing to push towards excellence is essential to creative achievement”. But, as he also goes on to say, the most effective leaders never “allow perfectionism to paralyse the creative process”.
So ask yourself this question – are you creating an environment in which your team can succeed or an environment in which they can’t fail? If you aim high, then learning to embrace imperfection may be the toughest thing you ever do, but creating a culture in which your team can thrive may just be your masterpiece.
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