Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings. Proverbs 22:29 (NKJV)
The habit of requiring excellence can gain you great influence. In studying this topic, I’ve found examples of excellent leaders all through the Old Testament.
Daniel and three of his friends found themselves in a foreign land without title or position, yet Daniel 1:20 (NKJV) says, in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better. Daniel had an excellent spirit, which gained him great influence with people in high levels of authority (Daniel 5:12, NKJV).
As another example, David gained a position of influence with King Saul by exhibiting excellence in playing the harp, in battle and in speaking eloquently. He didn’t exhibit perfection; he showed excellence. There’s a big difference. With perfection, nothing is ever good enough but excellence means being satisfied with your best while trying to exceed your capabilities.
The difference between excellence and ‘okay’ isn’t monumental. It’s often a 10 second difference. It’s picking up the garbage on the floor even when it’s not your job. It’s making eye contact and smiling no matter what your day is like. The small things count.
You can maintain excellence even when the pressure hits. When setbacks occur or when pressed for time, you will be the most tempted to forego excellence but you can refuse to be satisfied with mediocrity.
God created you with excellence and for excellence. You can choose to do all that you do with your best effort. In doing so, you will gain influence wherever you go.