To be excellent is to be the finest. To be excellent means to possess outstanding or superior quality. To be excellent is to be eminently good. Something that is excellent is very good indeed. To strive for excellence is to strive for perfection. A good leader must strive to have

the highest level of quality and perfection in all areas.

Excellence is the attainment of the highest level of quality and perfection. Being excellent means becoming a person of distinction. A true leader is someone who wants to distinguish himself in his field. The blessings of the Lord are to make you the head and not the tail.

'And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:' (Deuteronomy 28:13)

God had plans for his people to attain the highest levels of excellence. That is why he said you would be above only. Excellence is not an accident. It is something you must strive for.

If you want to work for eight hours a day, you are not likely to achieve distinction in this life.

People who distinguish themselves in this life often work for more than sixty hours a week.

Excellence demands hard work. Excellence in ministry, government or business does not come by osmosis; it comes by diligence.

Seven Times a Leader Is Encouraged to Strive for Excellence

1. Strive for excellence because it will bring you to a good end.

'Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.' (Psalm 37:37)

2. Strive for excellence because God desires excellent works.

'Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.' (Revelation 3:2)

3. Strive for excellence so that the imperfect aspects of your life and ministry will be done away with.

'But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.' (1 Corinthians 13:10)

4. Strive for excellence because our heavenly Father is perfect.

'Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.' (Matthew 5:48)

5. Strive for excellence because God told Abraham, His servant, to be perfect and excellent.

'And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and BE THOU PERFECT.' (Genesis 17:1)

7. Strive for excellence because God's presence abides with you when you are perfect.

'Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.'

(2 Corinthians 13:11) To become excellent you must emulate excellent people. Life is too short to discover everything yourself. Life is too short not to learn from your fathers and seniors. Excellence in the practice of medicine has been achieved by constantly building upon what our predecessors have learnt. That is why today we are able to transplant hearts. If the heart surgeon used his time to discover which direction the blood flowed, he would be taking us back to the eighteenth century.

Be humble and depend upon the discoveries of others. God does not want you to be mediocre. Insist on the highest standards. You can be an excellent businessman. You can have a high yielding factory. Your church can be the best in the city. Decide today for excellence. Read the books that excellent people have written. Read the books. Listen to the tapes. You can attain the highest level of quality and perfection in all areas of your life.

Excellence is yours for the taking. May you strive for excellence all year.