One of the most common leadership mantras I’ve heard—especially as businesses scale—is that leaders must “get out of the weeds” and “work on the business, not in it.”

It’s well-intentioned advice. And in many ways, it’s necessary. Leaders can’t afford to be consumed by the day-to-day forever. Someone has to think about the bigger picture, the systems, the long-term strategy. Someone has to work on the business.

When you’re building a business, it’s easy to get caught up in the scoreboard. Sales numbers, growth, expansion plans—they all feel urgent. But real, enduring success doesn’t come from chasing numbers. It comes from creating standards—clear expectations for how we do things, big and small—and then living by them every day.