Book of the Week: Excellence Wins by Horst Schulze

By Gabe Salinas – The World’s Greatest Window Cleaner

Excellence Wins: Why Standards Are the Shortcut to Success

Why Excellence Wins Matters to Me

This book was suggested to me by a business colleague and friend, and I’m glad he did. He knew my passion for perfection, for high-end living, and for products that make you stop and say wow!

Here’s the truth: price is never the problem. The problem is value, or the lack of it. Horst Schulze lays this out so clearly in Excellence Wins. He shows why brands like The Ritz-Carlton don’t just compete, they dominate. It’s not about charging more. It’s about creating an experience where the customer feels valued, respected, and cared for at every touchpoint.

And that only happens when your team is rowing in the same direction. When employees are held to high standards, empowered to serve, and treated with respect themselves, the result is a guest experience like no other. That is a win for the customer, a win for the employees, and a win for the brand.

I know this firsthand. Melisa and I recently stayed at a Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota, Florida. It was 100+ degrees outside when we pulled up in a rental car. Before we even stepped out, the doors opened, the staff greeted us with cold bottles of water, and they were already pulling our luggage from the trunk. They asked for our names, and within minutes we were on the way to our room. Quick, professional, attentive, service-oriented. The experience was stellar from beginning to end.

Horst writes about where that kind of service comes from. He grew up in Germany and entered the hotel trade at just 14 years old, starting as a bell boy. He attended a boarding school that specialized in training young men for careers in hospitality. His career was profoundly shaped by the maître d’ at his first hotel, a man he describes as a “true gentleman” who lived the principles of service and care for guests. That influence, combined with discipline, training, and an unshakable belief that excellence matters, became the foundation of Horst’s leadership philosophy and the service culture that would later define The Ritz-Carlton.

Excellence Is More Than a Slogan

Schulze makes it clear that excellence is not a slogan you hang on the wall. It is a standard you live by. Employees are not just a pair of hands. They are the heart and soul of the organization.

Excellence happens when people are empowered, trained, and trusted to serve at the highest level. It requires systems that reinforce high standards every single day. At Ritz-Carlton, that looked like credo cards, daily stand-ups, and empowering every staff member to act in the guest’s best interest without waiting for permission.

In my world at Window Ninjas, it looks like:

• Call center scripts that turn every call into a five-star interaction.
  
• Service techs who complete pre- and post-job walkthroughs so customers are never left guessing.
  
• A culture where team members are expected and trusted to “make it right” when something goes wrong.
  

Excellence doesn’t cost more than mediocrity. Mediocrity is what really costs you.

The Three Pillars: Customers, Employees, Leadership

One of the strongest frameworks in Excellence Wins is Schulze’s three pillars: customer service, engaging employees, and true leadership.

• Customer Service: 

Customers want to feel cared for, and they will pay for experiences that make them feel valued. That is why Ritz-Carlton outpaces competitors, and it is why our clients call us back year after year.

• Engaging Employees: 

People don’t work for you, they work for themselves. But they will give you their best if you give them purpose. Recognition, autonomy, and development opportunities turn employees into believers.

• True Leadership: 

Schulze warns against the trap of pure management. You cannot just measure and control. You have to motivate, build relationships, and cast a vision worth following.

As a business owner, you know these three pillars matter. Ignore one and the structure collapses. Put them all together, and you build a business that is unstoppable.

Vision That Creates Magic

Schulze emphasizes that a clear, compelling vision is what unites an organization. When every employee is aligned with the company’s values and goals, magic happens. Excellence becomes predictable.

At Window Ninjas, I see this when our team rallies around the mission to WOW customers at every interaction. It is not about cleaning windows or gutters. It is about creating pride, comfort, and joy in someone’s home. That is a vision people can get behind.

Shifting the Mindset

The true power of Excellence Wins is the mindset shift. Perfection is unrealistic. But excellence? Excellence is attainable. And when you embrace that, you start to unlock new levels of possibility for your business and your life.

Schulze shows that excellence is not about doing one big thing right. It is about a thousand small details done consistently well. From trust and autonomy, to support and recognition, excellence is created step by step until it becomes the culture itself.

My Golden Squeegee Rating

I give Excellence Wins 5 Golden Squeegees. Horst’s directness, discipline, and genuine care for his people are lessons every leader can learn from. Apply what he teaches, and you will not only build a stronger business, you will win at life.

Final Takeaways

Not only was the level of service at The Ritz-Carlton impressive, the people we met there were equally inspiring. Sometimes price is easy to focus on, but the real cost is what you miss when you are not around people who can add value to your life. Being in environments where you can build networks, friendships, and knowledge is priceless.

I walked away from Excellence Wins with deeper insights into why wanting the best for your business, your employees, and your customers is non-negotiable. Success is not just about your own gain, it is about improving the lives of the people who work for you and creating an experience that makes your customers say “wow.”

This book is a must-read for anyone serious about building a business that delivers excellence on all fronts. The customer wins, the employees win, and the business wins too. If you want a leadership book that is both inspiring and practical, this is the one.

Keep Shining,
Gabe Salinas