Lower your expectations of people outside your circle

High expectations of people are good, when those people are within your realm of impact (like the people you work with). You can use those high expectations to motivate them and help them improve.

But high expectations of everyone else (such as politicians, or your company’s senior leadership…but I guess that’s a subset of politicians) don’t do much besides disappoint and frustrate you.

It’s like a specific flavor of the serenity prayer:

Grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot impact,
the courage to give feedback to the people I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.