How to Lead for Growth and Innovation

I'm a natural perfectionist. When I'm at work, whatever I do has to be completely buttoned-up. It has to be so good no one can poke holes in it. I've been a UX designer for 15 years, and striving for perfection was a trap that I put myself in. When I started leading teams, thankfully, I had the self awareness and mentorship to realize I shouldn't lead others into the trap I set for myself.

There was a phrase that stuck with me when I started learning mindfulness and meditation: "you're not seeking perfection, that's why it's called a practice". That might not be a direct quote (it has been about a decade) but it successfully lodged in my brain and I think about it whenever I meditate. The philosophy of Practice Over Perfection has become core to how I lead high-performing, innovative teams.

So, this is just "practice makes perfect"? Sort of. The intent is similar but the words we use are important. Perfection implies a final state, something unchanging. The reality is that everything changes. To say that practice is how you achieve perfection is an unrealistic promise. Practice Over Perfection isn't striving towards perfection. If anything, it's closer to "the only constant is change".

At its core, Practice Over Perfection is about valuing progress, learning, and growth over unattainable standards of flawlessness. It’s a mindset that encourages experimentation and embraces failures as opportunities to improve. It's about doing the best you can and trying things you aren't good at to achieve a greater result.

The Problem with Perfectionism ​

Fear of making a mistake, imposter syndrome, feeling like things are moving too slow, sweating the details but past the point of diminishing returns. Have you ever felt like that when working on something? Maybe you've seen or felt those for people on your team? You might be in the realm of perfectionism.

Perfection sounds noble, but in practice, especially design, it can do more harm than good. It's not about just having high standards. When those high standards negatively impact you or your team, those standards have likely become an unsustainable expectation of flawlessness. This can have deep effects on yourself and your team:

Stifles Innovation ​

When you or your team is afraid to make mistakes, they avoid taking risks or trying new ideas. This fear of failure stifles creativity and prevents the kind of experimentation and creative problem-solving that drives innovation. Teams end up playing it safe rather than pushing boundaries. Perfection kills creativity.

Slows Progress ​

Perfectionism can lead to “paralysis by analysis”. Endless revisions and overthinking delay decision-making and execution. Deadlines slip, opportunities are missed, and momentum stalls as teams chase an elusive ideal.

Decreases Morale ​

The pressure to be perfect breeds anxiety and burnout. Team members may feel like their best efforts are never good enough, eroding confidence and motivation. Over time, this can quickly lead to a toxic culture leading to disengagement and turnover.

Micromanagement ​

Trust and autonomy are critical whether you're an IC (independent contributor) or leading a team. Leaders who demand perfection often fall into the trap of micromanaging their teams. This undermines trust and autonomy, leaving teams feeling disempowered and frustrated.

The Power of Practice ​

When you stop striving for perfection and start practicing you embrace a growth mindset. For teams, a culture focused on practice helps unlock their potential:

Encourages Experimentation and Innovation ​

When mistakes and failures are seen as part of the process, people feel empowered to take risks and try new approaches. Removing the fear of failure fosters creativity and leads to breakthrough ideas.

Promotes Continuous Learning and Adaptation ​

Growth isn't immediate, it happens over time. In a practice-oriented culture, people learn from each attempt—successes and failures—and use those lessons to improve.

Builds Resilience and a Growth Mindset ​

As any gamer knows, you have to die a few times to get good enough to through a level. It can be painful or it can be fun. But it's part of the process. By normalizing failure as part of the journey, teams develop resilience. They learn to bounce back from setbacks with greater determination and adaptability.

Fosters Collaboration and Psychological Safety ​

The free-flowing of ideas is critical to innovation and high-functioning teams. When leaders embrace Practice Over Perfection, they create an environment where people feel safe sharing ideas, asking questions, and offering feedback without fear of judgment.

Actionable Strategies ​

Here are practical ways leaders can implement Practice Over Perfection within their teams:

Canonize the Philosophy ​

Make Practice Over Perfection an explicit part of your team culture. Write it into your team agreement or guiding principles so everyone understands its importance. Revisit it regularly in meetings, crits, or retros to reinforce the message. It's also important to share it with the people and teams you work with to set their expectations.

Prioritize Action ​

Avoid "analysis paralysis" by adopting processes that prioritize action and encourage people to move quickly, gather feedback, and iterate based on data. You don't want to get stuck in the churn or wait for the perfect conditions or solution to come along. While you might not want to adopt all of Amazon's culture, one of their processes works well for prioritizing action: two-way door & one-way door decisions.

Focus on Learning ​

After completing a project or task, conduct “lessons learned” sessions (similar to Amazon’s “Post-Mortem” mechanism). These reviews should focus on identifying what worked well, what didn’t, and how the team can improve moving forward. This process shifts the focus from blame to growth.

Celebrate Effort and Progress ​

Progress towards a goal is just as important as the goal. Recognize not just outcomes but also the effort and learning that went into achieving them. Celebrate milestones along the way—even small wins—to keep morale high and reinforce a growth-oriented mindset. As a team leader you can do this in one-on-ones, in group settings, and in reports up-the-ladder.

Create a Safe Space for Failure ​

Encourage your team to take calculated risks by making it clear that mistakes are part of the process. Model vulnerability as a leader by sharing your own failures openly to normalize failure and learning through setbacks.

Pitfalls to Avoid ​

While Practice Over Perfection is about fostering growth and innovation, it's also not perfect. There are traps to avoid and situations when it's a less than ideal fit:

Risk of Mediocrity & Misinterpretation ​

Prioritizing practice can be slippery slope towards complacency. Without high standards, people may fall into the trap of delivering “good enough” work. High standards and a culture of practice can coexist. Leading a team following Practice over Perfection means you'll need to clearly define what "practice" means, have clear quality benchmarks, and how to balance when to meet standards versus experimentation.

High-Stakes & Misaligned Needs ​

Not every industry or business is a good fit for a "practice-first" mindset. Healthcare, aerospace, and finance are good examples where precision and accuracy are critical. Environments that are highly hierarchical or depend on rigid performance metrics might be a bad fit as well. Before you adopt this mindset make sure it aligns with the business and needs of your clients and stakeholders.

Sustainable innovation and growth ​

It's easy for leaders to fall into the trap of striving for perfection—but doing so often comes at the risk of innovation, progress, morale, and trust. By embracing Practice Over Perfection, we can help create high-performing teams that are resilient, creative, and continuously improving.

Leadership isn’t about demanding flawlessness; it’s about fostering an environment where people can be successful, to do their best work. This naturally involves experimenting, failing, learning, and growing. When we prioritize practice over perfection, we unlock people's full potential—not just for today but for the future as well.