Feb 4, 2025
High Standards
Push others. Push yourself harder.
That’s the heartbeat of high standards. Not perfection. Not pressure. Just a shared refusal to let average become the norm.
Call it out when your peers slide. Remind them of what great looks like. Help your boss see where they’ve dropped the ball. Hold the mirror up. But don’t stop there. Hold yourself to a sharper edge. Show them what it looks like to care—about the work, the craft, the outcome.
Start small. Set one standard. Stick to it. Then raise another. Don't change everything overnight. That’s how you burn out or burn bridges. Instead, build it like a muscle. Layer by layer. Standard by standard.
High standards aren’t loud. They’re consistent. You live them, not shout them.
Patience wins. But only if you don’t lower the bar while you wait.
That’s the heartbeat of high standards. Not perfection. Not pressure. Just a shared refusal to let average become the norm.
Call it out when your peers slide. Remind them of what great looks like. Help your boss see where they’ve dropped the ball. Hold the mirror up. But don’t stop there. Hold yourself to a sharper edge. Show them what it looks like to care—about the work, the craft, the outcome.
Start small. Set one standard. Stick to it. Then raise another. Don't change everything overnight. That’s how you burn out or burn bridges. Instead, build it like a muscle. Layer by layer. Standard by standard.
High standards aren’t loud. They’re consistent. You live them, not shout them.
Patience wins. But only if you don’t lower the bar while you wait.
About Max Antonov
I’m Max, a father of two, Product Director & Product Coach from Sydney. I write about leadership, product management
and life.
Feel free to reach out: [email protected].
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