Release to Build: Why I’m Choosing Execution Over Perfection in My Leadership (Part 1)

by Dave Miller

There’s a quiet tension I’ve had to confront in my leadership journey—not between right and wrong, but between sharing what I’m learning and waiting until it feels finished.

I’ve always valued excellence. Especially when it comes to how I communicate, how I train, and how I equip others. But that same value has sometimes become a roadblock. I don’t release an idea because I haven’t “framed it perfectly” yet. I hold back from mentoring others with the tools I’ve refined because I’m still tweaking the language or clarifying the model.

But I’ve realized something important: leadership isn’t about showing off finished thoughts. It’s about creating space for collaborative growth—even when your contribution feels incomplete.

Why I’m Learning to Go First

Recently, I’ve been leaning into a new habit: letting others into my thinking while I’m still thinking. That means releasing ideas, sharing frameworks, training in real time—not because they’re finished, but because they’re formational.

And here’s the paradox: the more I’ve shared imperfectly, the more others have grown—and so have I.

It’s not easy. When you put something out into the open, especially something unpolished, you risk being misunderstood. People may assume that because you shared it confidently, you must think you’re right—which makes them feel wrong. That’s not my intent. But it’s a tension I’ve had to accept.

Excellence Is a Community Project

What I’m learning is this: iteration and excellence are not individual achievements—they are community projects.

I don’t share what I’ve learned so I can win admiration or prove myself. I share it because I need the community. I share it because growth requires friction, feedback, and the humility to learn out loud.

If I’m trying to build a culture of collaborative leadership, I can’t wait until everything is perfect. That mindset creates spectators, not participants.

So I’m choosing to execute sooner. Not carelessly. Not sloppily. But courageously—with clarity, humility, and open hands.

An Invitation to Fellow Builders

If you’re a leader, a thinker, a trainer—someone others look to for answers—you might feel the pressure to get it all right before releasing anything. But if you wait for the perfect phrase, the ideal curriculum, the undisputed model… you’ll end up building in isolation.

Instead, I want to invite you into a different rhythm: Build in public. Learn in community. Lead with transparency.

Even if you’re misunderstood. Even if it costs you credit. Because the goal isn’t to be admired—it’s to be fruitful. And fruitfulness multiplies in the soil of shared growth.