Grace for the Humble; Law for the Proud

This past year we hired a leader to “raise our game.” One of our company tag lines is Be Better, and we truly desire this. Be Better is a powerful phrase and it’s easy to say — but often hard to follow.

The standards the new leader expects are not the standards we’ve kept. We need to be better! Unkept standards are not only an indictment of my leadership but also evidence that we need to change — to level up.

A key aspect of his leadership philosophy is identifying and addressing inauthenticity within our team. He prioritizes actions over words and is unyielding in his pursuit of genuine commitment. For those falling short of his expectations, his approach is clear: embrace the need for improvement and put in the effort, and support will be provided. Reject this assistance, prepare to be held strictly accountable to the established standards.

From his perspective, both paths are viable. He values grace for those who seek help and demonstrate effort, but also emphasizes adherence to established standards for those who prefer independence. This means consistently exemplifying our company’s core values, including demonstrating integrity by honoring commitments.

I’ve come to respect his tough yet fair approach. We have a set of standards that must be consistently upheld. Whether you’re humble and receptive to guidance or proud and independent, there’s a place for you — but you’ll be held accountable accordingly. Grace for the humble; Law for the Proud.

Grace to the Humble; Law to the Proud was originally published in Horizon Performance on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.