Following a Good Leader

During my career I was always given the worst element in the unit (Squad, Platoon, Company). The good part about assuming responsibility for what my senior leaders saw as a substandard element is that I had no place to go but up. Typically what I found was that the element had some great Soldiers that just needed responsibility and accountability. We usually became the best element within 90-120 days. Not because of me, but because the Soldiers cared and wanted to be seen as the best element in the unit. (not trying to brag, they really did well)

However, following a Great or Good leader is more difficult as they have high standards and have honed the element to a significant point of readiness. They typically have a good relationship with their Soldiers and the Soldiers have a strong loyalty towards this leader. So how do you uphold the current standard and make the element better?