#530. The Silent Killer of Organizational Excellence | Lessons from a Google Executive

The BluePrint with Dr. Erik Korem

What's the real cost of maintaining high standards in leadership? When my former high school classmate - now a successful Google executive - shared that his leadership style was polarizing his team, it sparked a crucial realization about excellence. Half thought he was too demanding, while the other half wished his high standards were the norm.

In this candid episode, I share why leadership isn't a popularity contest and what I've learned about maintaining standards from working with Olympic champions and building companies. Drawing from my experience with eight-time Olympic medalist Veronica Campbell Brown and insights from scaling organizations, I reveal why letting your standards slip might be the biggest mistake you can make as a leader.

Learn:

• Why maintaining high standards often means being unpopular
• Why your organization's values must have teeth
• The critical mistake that causes leaders to unknowingly dilute their culture

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Quotable moments:

"Leadership isn't a popularity contest. It actually comes with a cost." - Dr. Erik Korem "If A-minus quality is okay, you'll get B-minus." - Dr. Erik Korem

"You're either trained or you're untrained. That includes the physical, psychological, technical, and tactical." - Dr. Erik Korem

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ABOUT THE BLUEPRINT PODCAST:

The BluePrint Podcast is for busy professionals and Household CEOs who care deeply about their families, career, and health. Host Dr. Erik Korem distills cutting edge-science, leadership, and life skills into simple tactics optimized for your busy lifestyle and goals. Dr. Korem interviews scientists, coaches, elite athletes, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and exceptional people to discuss science and practical skills you can implement to become the most healthy, resilient, and impactful version of yourself.

On a mission to equip people to pursue audacious goals, thrive in uncertainty, and live a healthy and fulfilled life, Dr. Erik Korem is a High-Performance pioneer. He introduced sports science and athlete-tracking technologies to collegiate and professional (NFL) football over a decade ago. He has worked with the National Football League, Power-5 NCAA programs, gold-medal Olympians, Nike, and the United States Department of Defense.

Erik is an expert in sleep and stress resilience. He is the Founder and CEO of AIM7, the #1 pickleball health and performance app that helps pickleball players win more, recovery faster, and prevent pain and injury.

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