Chances are Competition and Comparison are present in your organization, but not always to the benefit of your team or your mission.  The key is learning to navigate the terrain of triumph and pitfalls with Competition and Comparison to ignite the brilliance of your team.

Competition is not a zero-sum game but a catalyst for growth. It motivates us to sharpen our skills, unleash our creativity, and deliver our best performance. As we compete, we can tap into hidden reserves of determination, resilience, and innovation, unlocking potentials we never knew existed. 

As a runner, when I train with people who are faster than me (which feels like almost everyone!), I get faster.  The healthy competition fuels my growth and improves my performance.

And in the midst of competition, we must beware of Comparison. Instead of pushing us to grow, comparison entices us to measure our worth against others and undermines our confidence and joy. Comparison leads us down a treacherous path, blinding us to our unique strengths and achievements.

 What’s more, comparison dampens collaboration and dissipates trust because we see others in a zero-sum mindset. We lose sight of the collective genius that could be harnessed through teamwork. Instead, we find ourselves trapped in a never-ending cycle of envy, self-doubt, and dissatisfaction. Comparison stifles creativity and breeds a culture of secrecy and isolation, robbing organizations of their full potential.

 (SIDE NOTE: And when we compare, we typically don’t choose even comparisons – we either compare ourselves with people we think are (doing) better than we are and feel bad about our performance.  Or we compare ourselves with people who we perceive as much worse than we are as an ego boost.  In either case, neither comparison is practically useful UNLESS you are looking to address a specific challenge and want to learn what habits or practices contribute to perceived better performance.)

Leaders, you play a pivotal role in cultivating a culture that embraces healthy competition while discouraging destructive comparison. Foster an environment that emphasizes what Carol Dweck calls a “growth mindset”:  where learning and growth are valued and mistakes and failures are seen as tools to propel the individual forward for future growth.

 To navigate this landscape, we must seek the balance between healthy competition and the pitfalls of comparison. Here’s how:

1. Normalize seeing success as “challenge and growth” and not “win and lose.”

2. Work to build a culture of trust within your team to foster friendly and healthy competition between teams – when one person grows, it has a positive impact on the team!

3. Celebrate and affirm individual strengths and how they contribute to the overall team – healthy teams have a diverse set of strengths, perspectives, and experiences that, when combined, contribute to moving the mission forward.

4. Ensure everything is in service to the mission – competition is not about egos, it’s about growing and getting better in service to the mission.  When egos get in the way, then things devolve into zero-sum and right/wrong thinking.  This contributes to a culture of fear and reactivity, stifling creativity and positivity.