The Trap of Perfectionism

Somewhere along the way, we started believing we had to be perfect to be valuable. Our culture began celebrating the appearance of having it all together—the perfect brand, the flawless plan, the constant productivity. Over time, this belief crept into our businesses, our teams, and our personal lives.

We confuse effort with worth. We confuse polish with power. But the truth is: perfectionism often holds us back. It keeps us chasing instead of choosing. It keeps us stressed instead of satisfied.

This isn’t about blaming capitalism or ambition. It’s about remembering that success can include more than just the bottom line. It can also include joy, sustainability, relationships, and meaning. Real success is balanced.

What Balance Really Looks Like

Balance isn’t perfection—it’s purposeful alignment. It’s the ability to make decisions that reflect your values in the moment. In Boulder, we see this in our Open Space policy. The city didn’t pursue a perfect plan. It prioritized values—like stewardship, access, and beauty—and let those guide the tradeoffs.

That means sometimes the value of conservation takes the lead. Other times, it’s equity or preserving cultural history. They don’t always agree. But they coexist. Boulder doesn’t freeze trying to get it perfect—it moves forward by choosing from what matters.

That’s balance.

Perfectionism vs. Values-Based Leadership

Here’s the thing: Perfectionism keeps us chasing an image—control, flawlessness, constant doing. Values-based leadership invites us to choose—presence, alignment, real-time truth.

Perfection says: “Be everything.”
Values say: “Be who you are, on purpose.”

And yet, nearly every company I walk into has their values posted somewhere—on a wall, on a website, in the handbook—but most employees can’t name them. That’s the gap. They’re words, not a way.

How Leaders Apply It

Balance in leadership works the same way. Let’s say your company values include precision, passion, and sustainability. Some days, sustainability needs to come first—rest, resourcing, long-term thinking. Other days, precision might lead—like when accuracy, detail, or compliance is mission-critical. When launching a product or delivering data to investors, precision anchors trust. Then there are days when passion is the driver—like during a team brainstorm, a client pitch, or when rallying around a cause. Passion brings energy, clarity, and buy-in. It changes based on what’s real right now.

For example, if your team is exhausted but a federal deadline looms, precision must lead—even if it means pushing through. On the other hand, if your metrics are clean but your people feel lost, passion may need to take priority to reconnect everyone to purpose.

10 Ways Balance Shows Up in Business

1. Holding to a deadline even when it’s hard—because precision matters.
2. Delivering the facts clearly and directly, even when it’s uncomfortable.
3. Hiring people who reflect your values, not just their experience.
4. Pausing a launch if the team is worn down.
5. Choosing a slower path to protect your people.
6. Saying no to a client who doesn’t fit your principles.
7. Celebrating effort, not just outcomes.
8. Making room for mistakes and growth.
9. Letting go of perfect to move forward.
10. Asking: “Does this reflect who we are and what matters most?”

If your company’s top two values are achievement and fun, balance doesn’t mean splitting everything 50/50. It also doesn’t mean you have to choose one at a time. These values can exist together. Achievement builds momentum. Fun builds connection. Together, they help people stay.

The Boulder Way

Boulder is beginning to get this. We train. We talk. We teach values. But now it’s time to lean in harder—especially when perfectionism creeps in, when pressure to deliver fast replaces commitment to the long game. This is where leaders need to tell their investors and stakeholders: Hang on. We’re building something real. A culture shift doesn’t yield overnight. But when it roots, it lasts. And yes—it works.

Integration is where values stop being theory and start shaping behavior. It might begin as a workshop or a slogan—but unless it shows up in how people are hired, how choices are made, and how trust is built, it won’t last. It’s the closing of the gap between what we say and how we actually operate.

When Voice Disappears

And here’s the big one: after 15 people, the thing that disappears fastest in most companies is voice—the real kind. Not just talking. But knowing your voice matters, and trusting there’s room to speak it.

Some people stay silent for fear of being judged or dismissed. Others dominate without realizing they’re crowding the space. Without self-awareness, neither group thrives.

Voice isn’t about volume—it’s about shared responsibility. When values guide the space, everyone listens, and everyone is heard. That’s when teams move from obligation to ownership.

What Happens When Voice Comes Back

So what happens when perfectionism dies and real voice returns?

Trust shows up first. Without fear of being judged, people begin to speak honestly. From there, healthy conflict becomes possible—not personal attacks, but productive disagreement. Commitment builds next, because people support what they help create. With shared commitment, accountability becomes collective—not forced from the top down. And finally, results follow. Not because of more hustle, but because the team is aligned and alive.

This is the anatomy of a healthy team. It starts when voice—real voice—is welcomed back.

This isn’t hypothetical. I’ve seen it. It is alive and well in the organizations I call my clients.

Ready to Try?

What would it look like if your company’s values came alive within your organization? Let’s talk. Set up a call with me.

If you value wonder, exploration, and expanding how we think about connection, check out this story on Fiske Planetarium in Boulder. It’s another glimpse at what leadership looks like when curiosity meets vision or learn about our Open Space roots here.

Let’s stop talking about values.

Let’s lead from them.

Too often, we assume having values written down—or even agreed upon—is enough. But values don’t work unless they’re lived. The real work is turning them from declarations into decisions.

Kate Galt Primal Leadership Business Coaching

Kate Galt coaches and challenges leaders at all levels— from entrepreneurs to seasoned executives— to sharpen their vision, articulate key messages so they connect and inspire, and make decisive, strategic moves that drive real business growth. Based in Boulder, Colorado, she works with individuals and teams to strengthen leadership, improve team dynamics, and achieve measurable results.

Her coaching is rooted in Primal Leadership—because the strongest leaders move with instinct, command presence without force, and create unshakable trust through raw, real connection.

Like any driven person, Kate is always figuring out how to do it all—running a business, raising two kids with her equally involved husband, and still making time for the adventure that brought her to Colorado in 1998. Whether it’s snowboarding, mountain biking, or chasing an ultimate frisbee, she knows the best leadership isn’t just learned—it’s lived.

The bottom line? Kate makes good leaders great.

Curious about what makes her coaching style so impactful? Book a call and experience it for yourself at CoachTheLeaders.com.