Overcome Your Fear of Others' Success: 4 Pitfalls Leaders Must Avoid for Team Growth

The biggest red flag of a scarcity mindset?

When you as a leader are afraid of someone else’s success.

Whether that someone is your peer, your team member, or your manager.

It’s a normal human emotion. And its ok to give yourself a little grace.

But great leaders can identify when it’s happening and have the tools to be confident and generous, even when they’re afraid.

Below are 4 pitfalls to watch out for.

👉 Ego vs. Team:  The success of someone on your team is the success of the team itself. If you’re not celebrating their achievements, you’re short-changing everyone, including yourself.

👉 Control vs. Growth:  When you focus on control, you hold someone back. You aren’t just hurting their potential, but also the overall growth of the organization. Innovation thrives on the diverse strengths of all its members.

👉 Reaction vs. Reflection:  The next time that pang of envy or fear hits, don’t react. Reflect. You dont need to take action immediately. Ask yourself why youre feeling this way. Is it insecurity? Is it competitiveness? Understand it to overcome it.

👉 Finite vs. Infinite Game:  Recognize that success is not a zero-sum game. There’s enough room in the winners circle for you and everyone you know. If you play the finite game, youll miss out on opportunities you didnt even know existed.

My advice to leaders: Celebrate the wins on your team, for your peers, and across your company. It may not have been your idea or your execution, but it’s not about you.

It’s about the team.

The quicker you understand this, the easier it’ll be to focus on your next success too. And the more fans youll make who celebrate you when it happens.

So next time you feel that fear creeping in, make a conscious decision to acknowledge it. Then celebrate them 👏