You’ve got a choice. Whether you’re the CEO or you manage one person, whether you’re the dean of the university of the leader of your high-school study group, you’ve got the same choice: you can deliver what’s expected or you can do better. You can be good enough, or you aim to be the best.

It’s not a difficult choice, but your being honest about your decision is more important than what you decide. Don’t supply a list of requirements, and then chew out the company you’ve contracted with because they didn’t deliver more. Don’t talk about being the best and then slavishly copy the leading competitor.

Set the appropriate expectation and everyone will understand what you want from them.