Yesterday, I attended the NTONL Fall Forum, surrounded by nursing leaders I respect; some of whom I have the privilege of serving alongside on the board.
One thing stood out to me: excellence.
Not perfection. Not titles. Not polished résumés. Excellence.
There is something refreshing about being in a room with people who care deeply about doing the work well. People who understand that leadership carries responsibility. People who still believe quality matters, integrity matters, and how we show up matters.
But if I’m being truthful, practicing with excellence can sometimes feel almost asinine. Especially when you look around and see chaos being normalized, mediocrity being tolerated, and shortcuts becoming standard operating procedure. And nursing certainly doesn’t have a monopoly on this.
I’ve had similar conversations with my siblings who work in completely different industries. Eventually, some version of the same question surfaces:
Should I just digress to what everybody else is doing?
If nobody else seems bothered, why should I be? If doing the bare minimum is acceptable, why am I stressing myself trying to do more? If people are cutting corners and still getting promoted, recognized, paid, and praised, what exactly is the benefit of maintaining a higher standard?
Then, Saturday morning, my Bible-in-a-Year reading started in Daniel 6.
And there was my answer…
Daniel Was Different
Daniel had been appointed as one of three administrators overseeing the kingdom. But Scripture tells us something interesting about him:
Daniel 6:3 NIV — Daniel “distinguished himself … by his exceptional qualities.”
His excellence became visible. King Darius noticed it and planned to place Daniel over the entire kingdom. That’s the part of excellence we like.
Recognition.
Opportunity.
Influence.
Promotion.
The moment when somebody finally sees the consistency, discipline, wisdom, and effort you’ve been putting in when nobody appeared to be paying attention.
But Daniel’s excellence attracted something else too…
Opposition.
The other leaders began looking for a reason to bring charges against him. They examined his work, his leadership, and his conduct. They couldn’t find corruption or negligence. Think about that. Daniel was so consistent that his enemies had to attack his faith because they couldn’t find anything wrong with his work.
Sometimes excellence gets you promoted.
Sometimes excellence gets you plotted against.
And sometimes it does both at the same time.
Excellence Can Make People Uncomfortable
That realization matters because we sometimes interpret resistance as evidence that we’re doing something wrong. Not necessarily.
Your consistency can expose somebody else’s inconsistency without you saying a word.
Your integrity may make shortcuts more obvious.
Your preparation can highlight someone else’s lack of preparation.
Your refusal to participate in dysfunction can disrupt environments that have grown comfortable with dysfunction. That doesn’t mean we become arrogant. Excellence without humility quickly becomes self-righteousness. But humility doesn’t require us to lower the standard either. There is a difference between believing you are better than people and deciding you will consistently give your best. Scripture gives us a simple reason for doing so:
Colossians 3:23 NIV — “work at it with all your heart.”
Our standard cannot constantly fluctuate according to whoever happens to be standing beside us. Because ultimately, we aren’t working simply to outperform other people. We are stewarding what God entrusted to us.
So, Should You Digress?
No.
Not because excellence guarantees a promotion. Daniel proves it doesn’t guarantee popularity either. And certainly not because excellence means everything will always work in your favor. Keep your standard because who and whose you are, matters.
Keep studying.
Keep preparing.
Keep treating people well.
Keep following through.
Keep telling the truth.
Keep doing what you said you would do.
Keep practicing your craft.
Keep living with integrity.
Even when mediocrity would be easier because somewhere along the way, excellence becomes reputation. Reputation becomes trust. Trust creates opportunities you may never have been able to manufacture for yourself.
And When Excellence Attracts Opposition…
Remember how Daniel 6 ends…
The people who schemed against Daniel succeeded in getting him into the lions’ den, but they could not determine the outcome once he got there.
God did. (Insert audible praise!!!)
Daniel told the king that God sent an angel to shut the lions’ mouths. That may be my favorite reminder from this entire story. People may have influence over the circumstances, but God still has authority over the outcome!
So when doing things the right way feels lonely, unnecessary, or even costly, remember who stands with you:
Psalm 46:7 NIV — “The LORD Almighty is with us.”
Or, as I was reminded this morning:
The God of heaven’s armies is on our side.
So no, I don’t think we digress.
We keep showing up.
We keep growing.
We keep serving.
We keep moving in excellence.
Not because everyone around us will appreciate it. And trust me, excellence will not necessarily always make life easier. But when God has entrusted you with an assignment, lowering your standard simply because mediocrity has become common is far too expensive a price to pay.
Let them notice.
Let them applaud.
Let them misunderstand.
And yes…if necessary, let them hate. Just don’t let them change who God has called you to be.
That’s life right now…
