How Excellence Becomes Your Biggest Competitive Advantage
Up next on our reading list is Horst Schulze’s Excellence Wins. I picked this book for us because it’s one of those books that gets right to the heart of what really matters in business: people. Your customers, your team, and even yourself. Schulze doesn’t just talk about customer service; he shows how excellence in everything, from the way you treat your employees to how you handle a complaint, is what truly sets a business apart. I love how practical and real his advice is. It’s not about chasing money; it’s about building the kind of culture and habits that make success inevitable. Whether you’re just getting started or growing fast, the principles in this book are the kind that last.
In Excellence Wins, Horst Schulze, legendary hotelier and co-founder of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, shares a leadership philosophy rooted in service, culture, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. His bottom line? Profit isn’t the primary goal. It is the result of taking care of your people and your customers the right way.
At the heart of everything Schulze teaches is a mindset: “Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen.” It’s not just a slogan. He coined that phrase to drive home that every person in an organization deserves dignity, respect, and pride in their work, no matter their role.
So how do you create that kind of culture? It starts with consistency, repeating and reinforcing high standards until they stick. It means trusting people and empowering them not just with words, but with action. For example, at The Ritz-Carlton, every employee, from the general manager to the newest hire, was trusted with the authority to spend up to $2,000 to make sure a guest was happy, no management approval needed. Trust like that builds ownership, pride, and real loyalty.
Schulze reminds us that building excellence is about hiring the right people, onboarding them thoroughly, and repeating your values often. Building a culture of service doesn’t happen once; it’s something you reinforce every day.
When it comes to the customer, Schulze makes it simple. People may come from all different walks of life, but their basic desires are the same:
- They want a product or service with no defects.
- They want it on time.
- They want the person serving them to be nice.
That’s it. But here’s the thing: customer needs and preferences are always evolving. Schulze warns: if you assume you already know your customers, you’re on the road to losing them. Stay curious. You have to keep learning about them over time and not just assume you know them forever.
Schulze also breaks down customer service into three simple steps:
- First, offer a warm, immediate, and genuine welcome. People make a subconscious decision in the first few seconds about whether they want to stick around — so make that first touch matter.
- Second, comply with the customer’s wishes. Ask, “How may I help you?” and really listen to what’s on their mind
- Finally, send them off with a sincere goodbye. Thank them, appreciate their time, and make them feel like they matter. A heartfelt farewell leaves the door wide open for them to come back.
And it’s not just about external customers either. Schulze teaches that every employee must know who their internal customer is — the people inside the company they are serving and supporting. Everyone’s job is to make things easier for the next person so the final customer experience is better.
True excellence means caring deeply about the people you are serving. It demands that we don’t just put out fires when problems pop up (and they will). Schulze is big on finding and fixing the root causes of any defect or complaint, so they don’t keep happening.
He identifies four main objectives that every organization should be hyper-focused on:
- Keep existing customers.
- Attract new customers.
- Encourage customers to spend more (without losing their trust).
- Continuously improve efficiency.
None of that happens without a strong culture. Schulze reminds us of Peter Drucker’s famous line: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” In other words, you can have the best business plans in the world, but if your culture isn’t right, your plans don’t stand a chance.
As leaders, it’s our job to inspire, to measure what really matters, to obsess over excellence, and to keep adjusting as we grow.
He’s clear: accountability and measurement are non-negotiable; they’re how you stay on track. “You won’t accomplish what you don’t measure.” Compliments are nice, but honest feedback is necessary for improvement.
Leadership, Schulze says, is a choice. A daily commitment. It’s about making conscious decisions and then pursuing them relentlessly. Leaders don’t let obstacles, egos, or excuses win. They stay focused on the bigger vision, even when it’s hard.
He also recounts the importance of keeping vision and values front and center, noting how he once persuaded a board to begin every meeting by reading the organization’s vision aloud, ensuring focus remained on the bigger picture rather than getting lost in numbers.
Schulze leaves us with this truth: Chasing money will get you temporary wins.
Chasing excellence will build a business you’re proud of and a legacy that lasts.
If you’re willing to commit to excellence, even when it’s tough or inconvenient, the success you’re dreaming of isn’t just possible. It’s inevitable.
I chose this book because I believe every one of you here at Catapult are building something that deserves to be excellent. Not average, not just ‘good enough,’ but excellent. Excellence Wins reminds us that it’s not about flashy marketing or fancy tools; it’s about how we show up for our customers and our teams every single day. Schulze gives a blueprint for that, and if you take even a few of these ideas and apply them, it can make a real difference. Let’s commit to being businesses that people want to come back to; businesses that live out excellence, on purpose, every day.