Mastering the Balance: How Successful Leaders Harness Healthy Competition in the Workplace

Does competition belong in the workplace? For great leaders, maybe less than you think.

I’m as competitive as they come.

Ive been a gymnast, a high diver, and an obstacle race athlete.

As a kid my dad even stopped bowling with me because I couldn’t just have fun. I had to win 😅

This competitive behavior served me well in my career. I grew fast in roles. I earned promotions.

Then as a leader I saw even more benefits from competition in the workplace.

– Creates an environment of innovation and growth – Team members push their boundaries – Fresh ideas are born

But then I saw the dark side.

Competition when unchecked will lead to negative emotions and relationships between coworkers to envy, fear, and burnout.

Resentment grows when you feel constantly one-upped or when you feel you must always outdo your peers.

Its not just missed promotions or bonuses. Its personal.

I saw this when I let my competitiveness define the culture of the teams I was leading.

People start to only look out for themselves and are afraid to support or celebrate their team members. It corrodes team cohesion, undermines trust, and drains motivation.

Yeah, competition might lead to some high performance in the short term. But the negatives compound over teams that result in low engagement and eventually turnover.

So, how do we balance this? How do we maintain healthy competitiveness?

– Celebrate difficult collective achievements – Reward the best collaborators, not just individual performers – Encourage peer mentorship, where team members give and get back  – Set goals against individual achievements; beat your last quarter numbers not the person sitting two seats down

Competition has a place. But make sure you keep it in check. It should be a tool for growth, not a weapon to divide.