Let me share a story about my friend “Joe” with you.
We went to business school together and have followed each other for all these years.
Joe had always been propelled by the idea that he could do better than most. He didn’t need much encouragement or external motivation to push himself.
At school, in sports, and at work, he had that fighting spirit – or, as we say in France, la niaque!
Life was a big, never-ending competition for him. It was all fine… until it wasn’t.
One day, Joe hit the wall: a big burnout.
I remember our chats when that happened. Joe was depressed. He had lost interest in every aspect of his life, including his beloved hobbies.
Beyond his mental state, Joe quit taking care of his physical self. He stopped the workouts, the running, even the cycling, and embarked on a bad diet and drinking.
In just six months, Joe had turned into a guilty living wreck.
Then, something happened. Some would call it a miracle.
Joe’s boss, Helen, who had previously pushed him to take a sick leave, called him back.
Helen was a manager with a stellar track record. More specifically, she had a gift. She knew how to assign talent to give their best.
After several discussions, Helen told Joe he wouldn’t return to his old job.
Instead, he would be tasked with working on a brand new exploratory initiative. This project would involve discovering the best adjacencies to the company’s core market and formulating a plan for the ones with the highest potential.
The timeline was aggressive, but Joe had “carte blanche” in how he should undertake this project.
That’s where Helen’s subtle coaching took all its dimension. She helped Joe realize that the best potential adjacencies would likely reside in “Blue Oceans.” In other words, markets where competition would be non-existent to start with but that would highly leverage the company’s unique competencies.
For the first time in his life, Joe’s mind was free from competition – internal or external. There was nothing to compare to, no one to beat—a true trail-blazing opportunity.
At first, Joe didn’t realize it, but this initiative was a godsend. He soon recognized where he was falling short and surrounded himself with the best experts in the adjacent markets he explored.
A huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Although the project was quite demanding, it was liberating for Joe to focus on the essentials: building the best possible future for the business and not having to wonder about competitors.
Imagine the relief of not constantly comparing, not always trying to be the best, but simply doing your best and enjoying the process.
Joe’s talent blossomed, and after a few months of hard work, he and his brand new team identified, ranked and secured the most impactful growth opportunities with the board. They then built and got approval for a rock-solid battle plan.
The rest is history—at least for Joe and Helen. The new initiative eventually became the company’s top-earning category. Joe and Helen got promoted and still enjoy top executive jobs in other industries today.
The morale of this story?
Joe’s competitive edge almost killed him. But thanks to an insightful manager, he discovered he could succeed and enjoy himself in activities where he wasn’t the best. He found joy in the process, collaboration, and shared success.
He learned to surround himself with top talent to create an A-Team focused on expanding the world of possibilities – and not solely trying to compete for share in existing markets.
By accepting being average and even clueless at times, Joe made the most essential self-discovery of his life. There’s no need to be consumed by a competitive mindset to succeed.
So, just think about letting go of all the competitions, rivalries, and comparisons for one moment.
Focus on an opportunity, learn all you can about it, surround yourself with people who are much better at it than you, and keep improving step by step.
Like Joe, you’ll set yourself free. You’ll sleep better, won’t burn out, and eventually prevail.