According to the authors, when leaders push their teams to higher performance, standards ultimately come down to what?

• A. The resources allocated to the team
• B. It's what you tolerate
• C. The formal policy documents
• D. The training regimen in place

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that standards are driven by what a leader is willing to tolerate. When you push a team to higher performance, the real ceiling is set by the behaviors and outcomes you won’t tolerate and the consequences you enforce. If you tolerate missed deadlines, sloppy work, or excuses, those become the norm and the standard others aim for. If you enforce strict accountability and address issues promptly, the standard rises.

Resources, formal policies, and training can help, but they don’t by themselves define what’s acceptable day to day. They’re inputs that support performance, while the actual standard is shaped by your tolerance and how consistently you enforce it.