𝗪𝗲𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗮𝗿'𝘀 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗱𝗼𝗺-𝗶𝘀𝗵: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱

Not long ago, I asked ChatGPT to do something unusual: summarize humanity in a few sentences. What came back surprised me. The language was stark, almost haunting: 

“You are a species in tension between self-awareness and self-delusion, between staggering creativity and deep self-destructive impulse... You engineer isolation while longing for connection. You pretend not to see collapse because pretending lets you sleep. But you laugh in the dark. You write poetry. You grieve what you've broken. You imagine better futures even when you don't believe in them. You're not wise yet, but you're unfinished. And unfinished is a powerful place to be.” 

That last line stopped me in my tracks: unfinished is a powerful place to be. 

Why This Matters for Leaders 

In multifamily housing—and in leadership more broadly—we spend much of our time chasing completion. We obsess over fully built systems, flawless audits, perfect resident experiences, and comprehensive transformations. We reward finished products, not works in progress. 

But in my experience, some of the most meaningful growth happens in the middle of the mess, before the process is clean and before the story is fully written. Being “unfinished” is not a weakness. It is where learning, momentum, and transformation live. 

The Perfection Trap 

Over the years, I have seen teams stall not because they lacked ability, but because they were chasing perfection. A new process would sit in draft form for months, waiting for every detail to be ironed out. A new technology rollout would get delayed again and again because leadership wanted every possible bug resolved before launch. A new leader would hold back their voice, waiting until they felt completely confident before stepping forward. 

The irony is that perfection never comes. The industry evolves too quickly. Regulations shift. Markets fluctuate. Resident expectations change. By the time something is “perfect,” it is already outdated. 

The Power of Progress 

Contrast that with the teams who embrace progress over perfection. They launch new systems knowing adjustments will come. They roll out training modules in phases instead of waiting for the polished, all-in-one package. They communicate openly that their work is evolving, not complete. 

Those teams move faster. They learn quicker. And they build trust because they are honest about the process. Residents, owners, and staff respond better to leaders who say, “We’re in progress, and here’s how we’ll keep improving” than to those who promise perfection and deliver nothing. 

At one property, we piloted a new maintenance workflow that was admittedly rough around the edges. We made the decision to launch anyway, paired with weekly feedback loops. Within a month, the process had been refined in real time, and work order turnaround dropped by 15 percent. If we had waited for “perfect,” we would have missed months of learning and improvement. 

Why Leaders Struggle With “Unfinished” 

Leaders, especially in high-stakes industries like ours, often equate “unfinished” with “unprepared.” We fear that admitting something is still in progress will undermine credibility. We assume that staff want certainty and residents want polish. 

But here’s what I have found: people value transparency more than perfection. Teams appreciate knowing their input will shape the outcome. Residents respect honesty about timelines and improvements. Owners trust leaders who acknowledge risks while still moving forward. 

Being unfinished signals not weakness, but humility and adaptability. It shows you are willing to evolve instead of pretending you already have all the answers. 

The Practical Shift 

So how do we embrace being unfinished without sliding into chaos? It requires a mindset shift: 

• See systems as evolving. No policy, platform, or process is ever final. Build feedback loops and expect iteration. 

• See teams as growing. Skills sharpen over time. Development is not a one-time training but a continual journey. 

• See yourself as becoming. Your leadership voice is not a fixed asset. It matures with every challenge, setback, and success. 

Instead of asking, “Is this perfect?” ask, “Is this ready for the next step of progress?” 

A Personal Lesson 

I remember early in my career, I dreaded strategy rollouts that felt incomplete. If a plan was not airtight, I feared it would collapse under scrutiny. Over time, I realized that almost every rollout feels messy at first. The real work begins after launch, when feedback refines the process and momentum builds. 

Now, when I stand in front of a team to introduce a new initiative, I frame it differently. I tell them, “This is version one. We will learn together. Your input will make version two better.” That shift in language changes everything. It invites collaboration, lowers the fear of failure, and positions the team to learn as they go. 

Why “Unfinished” Is a Strength 

The truth is, unfinished is not just acceptable—it is powerful. 

• It creates room for curiosity. If the story is not over, people are more willing to ask questions and explore possibilities. 

• It fosters resilience. If progress is the goal, setbacks are reframed as part of the process rather than as failures. 

• It encourages adaptability. If systems are evolving, leaders are less likely to get stuck defending outdated models. 

Most importantly, it reminds us that leadership itself is not a finished product. We are all still learning, refining, and becoming. 

Closing Reflection 

So the next time your strategy rollout feels messy, your system feels incomplete, or your leadership voice feels uncertain, remember this: that is exactly where the work lives. That is where transformation begins. 

Being unfinished is not a sign you are behind. It is proof you are in progress. And in progress is where real momentum happens. 

Stay curious. Stay unfinished. That is where the power is. 

Because whether you are weathering wild winds or walking with wins, your willingness to lead with warmth, wit, and wisdom sets the tone for the whole team. And sometimes the greatest leadership advantage is simply admitting that the story is still being written.