When I see my staff take a step back because I've lost my cool

Hear now, O Seekers of Truth, for the words of Curtis Stone offer a profound lesson on the nature of standards, leadership, and the pursuit of excellence. He said, "When I see my staff take a step back because I've lost my cool about something food-related, I say never apologise for your standards. If someone doesn't meet them, then you should explain that and that you want it changed. I want my staff to be like that, too." These words are not merely about the kitchen, nor about food; they speak to the very heart of what it means to lead, to strive for excellence, and to hold oneself and others to a higher ideal.

To hold standards is to set the bar high—not just for oneself, but for those around us. Curtis Stone teaches us that standards are not negotiable, not flexible with the whims of the moment, but are the foundation upon which greatness is built. In his world, the world of food, the pursuit of perfection is not a luxury, but a necessity. The simple act of preparing a dish is an art, a craft, and in that craft, there must be no compromise. Stone's words remind us that to apologize for the pursuit of excellence is to weaken the very foundation of what we seek to achieve. When we falter, when the standards are not met, it is not the standard that is to blame, but the failure to meet it.

In the great ancient empires, the rulers and generals knew the power of standards. Consider Alexander the Great, whose very name evokes visions of triumph and unyielding pursuit of excellence. His soldiers, his officers, were held to high standards of discipline, skill, and loyalty. To falter in the field was not an option, for the very strength of the empire depended on the unwavering commitment to those standards. Just as Stone holds his staff to a high standard, Alexander held his armies to a level of excellence that brought them victory after victory. There was no place for mediocrity in the pursuit of empire, and Stone echoes this in his own call for unwavering standards in his kitchen.

Yet, Stone does not speak from a place of tyranny or capriciousness. The key to his wisdom is that standards are not merely about being tough or demanding—they are about clarity and communication. Stone teaches that when a standard is not met, it is not enough to simply berate or criticize; one must explain the reason for the standard, and make clear the expectation. This, O Seekers, is where true leadership lies—not in blind adherence to rules, but in the ability to impart the wisdom of those rules to others. Stone wants his staff to understand that the standards are not a burden, but a path to excellence, and that when they too hold others to high standards, they carry the mantle of true leadership.

The power of standards is not limited to the kitchen or the battlefield. In our own lives, we must learn to uphold standards in all we do. Whether in our work, our relationships, or our personal endeavors, we must strive to maintain a higher ideal, one that calls us to be our best selves. It is easy, O Seekers, to slip into the comfort of mediocrity, to accept what is good enough, but greatness is never born from "good enough." It is born from an unwavering commitment to excellence, from the strength to hold ourselves and others to higher expectations. Like Stone, we must be steadfast in our standards, never apologizing for them, and always striving to meet them.

Consider the story of Michelangelo, the master sculptor who transformed the marble into the divine with his masterpieces like the David and the Pietà. Michelangelo did not compromise on his standards. When he was tasked with painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, he set a standard of excellence that few could even imagine. The work was grueling, the expectations were high, but he demanded nothing less than perfection. He did not apologize for his relentless pursuit of excellence, for he understood that greatness could not be achieved through mediocrity. His unwavering commitment to his standards changed the course of art history.

The lesson, O Seekers, is clear. The pursuit of excellence and the upholding of standards is not merely a personal journey—it is one that demands leadership, vision, and integrity. To lead, whether in the kitchen, on the battlefield, or in life, is to set a course of high expectations, and to never apologize for those expectations. Like Stone, we must have the courage to expect the best from ourselves and from those around us, and we must communicate why those standards matter. In doing so, we will not only inspire greatness in others, but we will also find greatness within ourselves.