And to put it another way, would you help someone at work even it meant they get ahead of you? My take on the question is this: The answer depends on the type of organisation you work for. Is it an organisation whose culture is inspirational or competitive? The former encourages team spirit and is one that grows organically. The latter encourages a ‘dog eat dog’ environment and is frankly, stressful.
Straight up I want to say that I am in favour of helping others get ahead, even if it means they end up ahead of me. The most confident and most secure people I know love to help others. I am one of those. I brought in a business partner who is more adept at some things than I am. I am surrounded by people in the leadership team who are better at some things than I am. I play tennis with people who are better than I am so I can improve my game. Get my drift?
It takes courage to hire people better than you and it takes guts to train people who are potentially better than you at your job. The reward for you is that it lifts your own performance and challenges your comfort zone. The reward for the company is that it lifts the average.
In the end we are each the average of the people we hang around with. Remember school? And the best way to end up mediocre is to surround yourself with people who are just like you or who are not as good as you.
What makes MSA great is that we all help each other grow and our average is lifting every day. We have love and empathy for each other and this is the single most powerful quality that scares our competitors.
………………………
Self-Discovery – Questions to Ask Yourself:
Who are my heroes and heroines (from history, fiction or religion)?
What are the qualities I look for in a close friend?
What are my unique skills and talents?
What are the best qualities I express in a personal relationship?