📌 Rule No. 35 —Raise the Bar, Then Raise It Again.

Rule No. 35 summary:

Great companies don’t settle. They refuse to be lulled by early wins or fooled by temporary success. They build a culture where good isn’t good enough — and even great becomes the new baseline to surpass.

This rule reminds leaders that the bar is never fixed. Raise it, reach it, and then raise it again.

Because in enduring businesses, the pursuit of better never ends. The best leaders know that today’s high standards are tomorrow’s average.

Success has a way of making people soft. It’s easy to become satisfied when things are working—when growth is steady, clients are happy, and the numbers look good. But the moment you stop pushing, you start plateauing. If you’re not constantly raising the bar—for yourself, your team, and your business—you’re already falling behind. This rule is a challenge to reject complacency and recommit to a standard of excellence that never flatlines.

If you’ve fought battles that became lessons — this is where we collect them.

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 The standard you tolerate becomes the culture you create.

đź“š Recommended Reading

Good To Great

by Jim Collins

“Good is the enemy of great.”— Jim Collins

WE ARE STILL BUILDING THIS RULE. CHECK BACK

🧭 THIS RULE HELPS YOU WITH

  • Avoiding complacency after short-term success
  • Instilling a culture of continuous improvement
  • Driving operational and strategic excellence
  • Developing high-performing teams that challenge norms
  • Making “great” the floor, not the ceiling

🔍 ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

“Progress starts with asking better questions. Use this section and these prompts throughout The Institute to challenge assumptions, surface blind spots, and drive clearer thinking.”

Where have we accepted “good enough” — and why?


What sacred cows or legacy processes are we protecting at the cost of progress?

If a new competitor started today with zero baggage, how would they beat us?


What are we blind to because of our past success?

What would radically raising the bar in our core offering actually look like — not incrementally, but fundamentally?


And who in our organization is equipped to lead that push?

🖋️ Executive Discussion Prompt

Teams often point to early wins as proof they’ve “made it.” But true leaders know those wins are just the beginning. The companies that go from good to great—and stay there—don’t measure themselves against the competition. They measure themselves against their own potential.

Where in our organization have we quietly lowered the bar — or stopped raising it? What would it take to reset the standard, not with slogans, but with actions?

 This Rule isn’t finished—and it never will be. Business changes, leaders learn, and our Members keep sharpening the edges with real stories and hard-won lessons. What you see here is today’s version. Tomorrow’s will be better, clearer, and backed by more lived experience.

Thank you for being here and bringing your perspective—add your insight, share a story, or challenge what’s written. Together, we keep these Rules alive and relevant.