Leadership Truths: Setting Standards and Serving Others
Every leader sets standards. Some do it by design. Others do it by what they allow. And both happen. Frequently. People are always watching what you do, what you pay attention to, and what you walk past. They take their cues from what you notice, say, and do. If you let things slide, you’ve set the standard at “just okay.” If you act with clarity and consistency, you’ve set the standard for excellence. Everything communicates.
Great leaders know that standards define culture. But how you enforce those standards defines trust. The strongest leaders combine both setting clear expectations and then serving their team to help meet them. Clear vision, intentional communication, accountability. That is how the best leaders serve their team and their business. Let’s look at this more in-depth.
Standards Begin with Vision
Every standard starts with a picture of excellence. You must be clear on what “good” looks like. Otherwise, you can’t expect your team to see it. This is where vision connects to execution. If your vision is fuzzy, the standards that flow from it will be, too. People can’t hit a moving target. Vision connects the why to the expected outcomes.
Leaders often underestimate how much every small detail communicates. What you choose to notice, or ignore, tells your team what matters. The store that’s “mostly ready” or the report that’s “close, better, but not to expectation” speaks louder than any memo about high standards. Progress is always important, but it is not the designation. Mike Tomlin, coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, says it best, “The standard is the standard.”
Excellence is not perfection. It’s clarity of purpose, discipline in execution, and consistency in how you show up.
Action Points
Define what excellence looks like in measurable terms. Avoid vague words like “better” or “faster.”
Don’t assume your team knows what “done” means. Show examples.
Audit your own reactions. What do you let pass? What do you correct immediately? Those moments reveal your real standards.
Everything Communicates
Every interaction, every behavior, every decision communicates something about your standards. A manager who walks past clutter on the floor communicates that neatness doesn’t matter. A leader who ignores missed deadlines communicates that accountability is optional. On the other hand, a leader who stops to address the small things sends a stronger message than any speech about excellence ever could.
Leadership is not just what you say. It’s what you tolerate.
Your influence, the outcomes you direct, comes from how you show up for your team. Your team learns as much from your silence, the things you don’t say, or the things you walk by, than your emails or speeches.
Action Points
During your next visit or meeting, observe what your environment says about your expectations.
Ask your team what they believe your standards are. Then listen closely.
Make small corrections quickly. They carry more weight than large fixes made late.
Standards Without Support Fail
It can be easy to set expectations, even define a vision. The hard part comes in supporting and delivering on those goals. Reality has a way of being its own barrier. How often have you sat in a meeting where your enthusiasm is growing, the possibilities are endless, and new achievements are just days away? Then, you are back in the store or in your everyday grind, only to realize that obstacles exist. Other opinions filter in. Priorities get blurred. Reality strikes. Support, grit, and resilience will define how you lead your team.
When you set a standard, you take responsibility for helping others achieve it. Otherwise, you’ve just shifted youraccountability onto them. If you expect your team to raise their game, you must raise yours too. Your job is to make sure they have the clarity, tools, and feedback to do it. That’s what separates leaders who inspire from those who simply go through the motions of a ‘roll-out.’
Action Points
Review whether your systems support your standards. If not, fix the process before blaming performance.
Build in coaching time. Standards only live through conversation and reinforcement.
Recognize when someone exceeds expectations. That builds pride in the standard.
In your next team meeting, share one story of someone who upheld the standard through service. (Ritz-Carlton does this to great effect.)
Model the Standard You Expect
Modeling the actions you want has come up in nearly every section of the leadership truths. The fastest way to weaken standards is to hold others accountable for behavior you don’t model yourself. Teams notice inconsistencies quickly. If you expect punctuality but start meetings late, your words lose weight. If you expect accuracy but skip details, your credibility fades.
Excellence starts with example. Consistency creates credibility.
Action Points
List three non-negotiables you want your team to live by. Now rate yourself on each one.
Ask a trusted peer, “Where do I fall short of the standards I talk about most?”
Align your actions daily with the expectations you set.
Serving Others Strengthens Standards
Some leaders think high standards and servant leadership don’t mix. They assume service means being soft or lowering the bar. The opposite is true. Serving your team means helping them meet and sustain the standard. It means removing barriers, clarifying goals, and coaching through challenges. When people know you’re there to help them succeed, they respond with higher ownership and effort.
True service in leadership is not about pleasing people. It’s about equipping them. It’s holding them accountable with respect, not pressure. Servant leadership, as we’ve explored before, is not a theory. It’s a practice built on humility and intent. You set the standard, but you don’t leave your team alone to reach it. You walk beside them.
Action Points
Ask each team member what support they need to meet expectations. Then act on it.
Recognize effort publicly and address gaps privately. Both are forms of service.
Balance standards and empathy. High expectations matter most when people know you care.
Serving Creates Strength
When people feel supported, they deliver stronger results. Service is a force multiplier. It creates trust, and trust drives effort.
Your team doesn’t need you to be perfect. They need to know you’re committed—to the standard, to their success, and to walking the path with them.
When leaders pair high standards with authentic service, teams feel both challenged and cared for. That balance builds belief.
Standards tell people what’s possible. Service helps them get there.
Action Points
In your next team meeting, share one story of someone who upheld the standard through service.
Connect your expectations back to your “why.” Remind people who benefits when standards rise.
Make service part of your performance language, not a side concept.
Connecting Standards to Service
Setting standards is only the beginning. Expecting excellence is one thing, delivering it through leadership is another. Serving your team is the best way to ensure your high standards will be met. Exceptional results do not happen by accident. There is vision, intention, and support behind anyone or any company that consistently delivers exceptional results.
How do you connect your service to your team to the standards you set?
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