How many steps do you take into a room before you begin to notice the things that aren’t done well?  Do you notice them at all?  Do you notice the BIG things only?  What about the details?

I believe one of the main attributes of a great leader in any capacity is paying relentless attention to detail.

I can already hear many of you saying, “But I’m not a details guy.  I’m a big picture, vision guy”.

Let me break this down for you: IF YOU DON’T CARE ABOUT THE DETAILS, NO ONE ELSE WILL EITHER.  I believe that if details don’t matter to you then neither does the big picture.  If the big picture or vision or idea really mattered to you, then every aspect would matter to you.  Now, I’m not saying that you have to be the one to carry it all out or to make it happen, but you will check over the work of those supporting you to make sure the details that they have worked out are exactly what you want.

I worked for a man one time that was the best I’ve ever seen at this.  To move up in his organization you had to show that you paid great attention to details and that it mattered to you.  He would take it incredibly far to find out if you were paying attention.  He would tell us that if he ever saw anyone walk by trash on the floor and you did not pick it up then you would be immediately fired on the spot.  He would set us up sometimes.  I remember once when he went and got out orange parking cones and left them in random places in the parking lot where they obviously should not have been.  Everyone that pulled in the lot that day, drove and walked by the cones into the building without putting them where they belong were in trouble.  Those of us that noticed something out of place and did something about it were rewarded.  That’s a lesson that has stuck close to me.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard leaders make excuses for not making sure all the details were lined up so that they could pursue excellence.  I’ve heard it said that “People are ignorant, they don’t know the difference between something being 85% good and 100% great so why push for that extra 15% if it’s negligible?”  That is the number one thing that keeps good leaders from being great leaders.  That is the number one thing that keeps good organizations or ideas from being GREAT!

I equate good with mediocrity.  I think that anyone can do a good job.  If anyone can do good, then good is something that is easy, therefore, mediocre.  The lifeblood is in the details.  The greatness is in the details.  The excellence is in the details.  If you don’t pay relentless attention to details you will never be a great leader, will never have a great organization and will never develop anything of true excellence.

Pay attention.  Put in the extra work.  Make it great.  Pursue excellence.