Management: what if being mediocre actually means “excelling”?

The escalation of “always more”, a social and managerial scourge confronted by universal, redeeming mediocrity.

The principle of mediocrity is both a cosmological and philosophical concept suggesting that Earth and its inhabitants are banal, ordinary or mediocre within the Universe. The sun is described as a mediocre, medium-sized star among billions of stars in an unremarkable location in the Milky Way… Thus, strictly speaking, mediocrity isn’t a negative or pejorative notion.

In his book Good Enough: The Tolerance for Mediocrity in Nature and Society, Daniel S. Milo - a philosopher and naturalist - deconstructs the Darwinian “survival of the fittest” theory, particularly as it’s applied in a political and social sense. He shows how living beings that are merely “good enough” or mediocre do indeed exist and thrive.

He bases this on the homology between “natural selection” and Adam Smith’s “invisible hand.” Nature constantly perfects itself, and the market is always right. If living creatures are condemned to innovate and excel because that’s the law of evolution, then human beings have no more “right” to rest on their laurels than they do.

But in nature, beings that are ordinary or passable survive and reproduce. Indeed, some species possess attributes that are sometimes useful - like the giraffe’s long neck - and sometimes less so - like the giant panda’s ill-suited digestive system. These aren’t necessarily decisive factors in evolution; nature’s goal isn’t to hunt down or eliminate “mediocre” species.

Hence, pursuing endless achievements, success or heroics is futile. In fact, organizations that overly glorify excellence, overperformance or rivalry leave no room for “mistakes.” They wind up paralyzing themselves, stifling creativity and blocking the path to being merely “good enough”.

To evolve, these zealously “always more” organizations must reinvent themselves by leveraging their “average” resources. Mediocre or “good enough” talents turn out to be competent, skilled in their domain, aware of their strengths and weaknesses, transmitting their knowledge. They’re “simply good.” They seek neither spotlight nor obscurity, yet they’re crucial and often underappreciated resources.

So maybe mediocre people are, in fact, potentially excellent?

IS TOMORROW’S MANAGEMENT DOOMED TO BE MEDIOCRE?

Donald W. Winnicott, child psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, developed the idea of the “good enough mother.” A mother doesn’t (and shouldn’t) be perfect to raise a healthy, well-adjusted, creative child. By accepting imperfections, the child develops resilience, initiative and self-expression. He won’t always expect instant, complete satisfaction.

Transposing this to management, the “good enough mother” concept suggests a “ just good enough” manager - one who recognizes that perfection is unattainable or even counterproductive.

Such managers have a crucial role in curbing the constant climb of “always more.” They lay the foundation for healthy growth by creating a caring, supportive environment that promotes learning, experimentation, and viewing failure as an opportunity. Their management style balances trust, autonomy and guidance - a stark contrast to typical management models that value control, rigid processes, performance and quantitative results.

To do this, we urgently need to discard our obsession with excellence and foster ego freedom. Indeed, the shine of “just good” requires unconditional acceptance of mistakes and trust among employees, management and top leaders alike.

“Just good enough” is also a chance to de-stigmatize management (we’re not all inspiring, charismatic leader-managers… and that’s good news!) and encourage easier decision-making. A “just good” manager acts as a guide, champion of mistakes, individual initiative, and creativity within a caring environment. They’re clear-eyed about themselves, able to bring recognition, autonomy, and professional well-being (which might, in fact, make them our inspiring leader!).

In short, “just good enough” points organizations toward a more balanced growth while fostering employee well-being and professional development.

IS THE “JUST GOOD ENOUGH” MODEL COMPATIBLE WITH THE RISE OF GENERATIVE AI?

A responsible, ethical integration of AI could promote the pursuit of “just good enough”.

Offloading repetitive, low-impact tasks to AI tools would free up time for higher-value work - like employee engagement, leadership development or personalized customer and partner support.

That said, AI usage must be conscientious and aligned with well-defined applications; otherwise, it risks slipping into a middle-of-the-road standard that undermines “just good enough”.

Moreover, such thoughtful usage is essential for human as well as environmental reasons. AI demands massive resources and is highly energy-intensive. So the “just good enough” model also invites organizations to shift toward a new dynamic of balanced growth.

This holistic approach calls for rethinking economic models to move away from “over-”: overproduction, overconsumption, overperformance… and adopt more sustainable methods, mindful of finite earthly resources but limitless human potential.

At ACT-ON STRATEGY, we guide you every step of the way - whatever your transformation - helping define the people-focused and technological solutions that align with your challenges and values - and thus create lasting impact together.

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