Vitale Buford: The Important Journey from Perfectionism to Excellence

In this episode, Sarah Tenisi speaks with Vitale Buford, an executive coach, speaker, and the author of Addicted to Perfect: A Journey Out of the Grips of Adderall. Listen in as Vitale shares how she helps organizations lead with imperfection.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

● [01:33] Defining “perfectionism” and why we outsource our self-worth

● [02:44] The difference between “perfectionism” and “excellence”

● [07:00] How much excellence is “enough”?

● [08:44] How Vitale overcame her obsession with perfection

● [13:25] How to identify if you are suffering from perfectionism

● [18:30] How you lead differently once you switch to striving for excellence

● [24:06] The importance of self-awareness building trust

● [28:20] How to let your team know that you do not expect perfection

● [30:29] Why you need to look inward to change your company culture

● [32:23] Why it pays to sit back and just be present as a leader

● [36:57] The benefits of embracing imperfection in your organization

● [43:57] What’s next for Vitale?

Key quotes:

● “‘Perfection’ is this false identity or persona that we put on that is externally motivated.”

● “Asking for help, is a trust building exercise”

● “‘Perfectionism’ is externally motivated and competition-based while ‘excellence’ is externally motivated and cooperation-based.”

● “The only type of competition you need to have is competition with yourself.”

● “Being ‘enough’ is being present—accepting the present moment as it is.”

● “Be radically honest with yourself. We can’t change unless we’re willing to really look at ourselves and say, ‘What’s holding me back? I deserve better.’”

● “Perfectionism erodes trust. If you don’t have trust in an organization, you have nothing.”

● “Your level of awareness and growth is equal to your effectiveness as a leader.”

● “We get uncomfortable with things being good, because as perfectionists, we’re always looking for that one thing that’s wrong. Nothing is ever enough.”

● “Curiosity is the beginning of all change.”