Good Enough To Lead

Hello, everyone.

This month, I want to share three things with you: an update on my upcoming books, a story from the publishing process, and a confession. While these reflections emerge from writing and publishing, they reach far beyond books. They speak directly to leadership, and to life.

As many of you know, my first book, The Next Healthcare Leader, will be published this April. It is a career and leadership guide for students and emerging healthcare leaders. Writing it required learning an entirely new craft from the ground up: finding the right publishers, submitting detailed proposals, outlining the book, preparing sample chapters, and then actually writing the manuscript. Every step was new.

When the manuscript was finally complete, I submitted it knowing it was imperfect. I assumed, somewhat naively, that a developmental editing process would follow, an opportunity to strengthen arguments, refine structure, and smooth the narrative. Instead, I received a surprise that many first-time academic authors experience, but few are warned about: there was no developmental editing phase. The manuscript was headed straight into production.

There was some consolation in knowing the book would still go through copyediting. I recently completed that stage, and here is how it works behind the scenes. The publisher’s copyediting team reviews each chapter and makes their own revisions, primarily focused on grammar, clarity, and consistency. In my case, the edits were fairly light. That document is then returned to the author for review. This is the author’s final opportunity to comment on edits and suggest changes related to flow, transitions, readability, or errors, but not anything substantial. By this point, that ship has sailed.

After the author’s review, the manuscript goes back to the copyediting team, who decide which changes to accept. Final proofs are then prepared. I will receive those proofs in the coming days, and I admit, I’m nervous. While I can review and approve them, my ability to request revisions will be limited to clear errors. I have been reassured that this experience is common. There is a saying in publishing that an author’s first book teaches them how to write a book, the second shows what they learned, and the third is when the writing really begins to sing.

For those of us with high standards, this process can be deeply uncomfortable. It certainly has been for me. Yet it has also been formative. What I have come to realize is something simple but profound: it is okay to be good enough. Something does not have to be perfect to be good.

This lesson matters for leadership, especially for those of us committed to integrity, courage, and character. Leaders who believe they must be flawless often become rigid, defensive, or paralyzed by fear of failure. By contrast, leaders who accept their own limitations are often more honest, resilient, and humane. They lead with transparency rather than performance, and with courage rather than control. This principle applies not only to our professional roles, but also to our relationships and our inner lives.

As I prepare to submit my second book, The Christian Healthcare Leader, I can already see the growth. The manuscript is stronger, clearer, and more confident. This time, there are no surprises. I understand the process, and I am taking care to submit the book in excellent condition. Still, the first book does not need to be perfect to be valuable. My hope is that The Next Healthcare Leader will serve and encourage many early-career professionals, and that, in the end, will be more than enough.

• Perfection is not a leadership requirement. Effective leaders do not wait until everything is flawless to lead, act, or serve. Progress and faithfulness matter more than polish.
• Integrity grows through honesty, not performance. Leaders build trust when they are transparent about limitations, mistakes, and learning experiences rather than pretending to have it all together.
• Courage includes releasing control. Letting go of the need to over-edit, over-manage, or over-prove allows leaders to focus on what truly matters.
• Growth comes through iteration, not arrival. Leadership competence and character are formed over time through practice, reflection, and humility.
• Being “good enough” creates space for others. Leaders who accept their own imperfections invite collaboration, development, and shared ownership within their teams.

• Where am I holding myself to a standard of perfection that may be hindering growth, action, or peace? What would it look like to embrace “good enough” in this season?
• In what areas of my leadership am I tempted to perform rather than lead with integrity? How might greater honesty strengthen trust with others?
• How do I typically respond when my work, decisions, or ideas feel unfinished or imperfect? What does that response reveal about my identity and sources of security?
• What is one way I can practice courage this month by releasing control and allowing learning, collaboration, or grace to shape my leadership?

What I am Reading: The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
I’m reading The Let Them Theory, and one idea really resonated with my recent experience publishing my first book: the reminder that we cannot control everything, and that our energy is best spent on what we can influence. Robbins talks about letting go of trying to manage outcomes or others’ opinions and instead focusing on our own actions and responses. For me, submitting a book that wasn’t perfect was an exercise in this principle. I couldn’t control every edit, every decision of the publisher, or how readers would receive it. What I could control was my effort, integrity, and intention in creating the work. Accepting “good enough” freed me to move forward without being paralyzed by perfection.

A Quote on My Mind:
“Focusing on what you can’t control makes you stressed. Focusing on what you can control makes you powerful.” — Mel Robbins, The Let Them Theory

This has been a helpful reminder that leadership, like writing, is about acting with courage and character, not about controlling every outcome.

A Practice That Helped Me:
This month, I’ve been reminding myself to pause when I feel the urge to perfect or control everything. I ask, “What is within my control right now?” Then I act there, letting the rest unfold as it will. It’s a small practice, but it has made a big difference in maintaining focus, confidence, and peace as a leader.

Wishing you a month of courage, progress over perfection, and leadership with integrity.

💡 I’d love to hear your reflections. Where might you embrace “good enough” this month and focus on what’s within your control? Reply to this email or share your thoughts on LinkedIn!

With encouragement,
Matthew