Friday, November 24th, 2006...10:51 pm
Healthy Competition
In John C. Maxwell’s book, The 360° Leader , lead across principle number 2 is to put competing fellow leaders ahead of competing with them.
Healthy competition in the workplace can greatly benefit the organization. However, there is a fine line between healthy competition and a cut-throat culture. The line has been crossed when the competition damages organizational motivation and morale. Are you taking the actions you are taking for the purpose of getting ahead, or pushing the organization to its goal?
Maxwell contrasts by using the terms “Competing vs. Completing”.
When you have a competing mindset, you think of things in terms of scarcity as opposed to abundance. You put yourself first instead of the organization. You destroy trust instead of developing it. You think in terms of win-lose, instead of win-win.
How do you balance completing and competing?
1. Acknowledge your natural desire to compete. Many of us are just born with a competitive spirit. Those who find themselves in positions of leadership almost have to have this trait. We have to recognize the fact that we have the inborn desire to win.
2. Embrace healthy competition. It is very good to have healthy competition in the workplace. It…
- Helps bring out your best
- Promotes honest assessment
- Creates camaraderie
- Does not become personal
3. Put competition is its proper place. Be careful not to take competition to the extreme. It will be noticed…in a negative way.
4. Know where to draw the line. When the line is crossed in a competition in the workplace, it drains the organization and destroys morale.
The key thought is that all of the leadership ability in the world is worthless, if you compete with your peers to the point that you alienate them and destroy their trust.
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