If the challenges of reassuring your self-worth and fighting back against imposter syndrome (Show 224) weren’t enough in your leadership journey, you likely encounter a time when you also compare yourself to other leaders. That can come from your organization fostering a culture of hyper-competitiveness to your own inner voice putting you on a Value scale against your peer.
I certainly compared myself to a lot of my peers early on in my career. I used it as a barometer of what my success level was. “How am I doing against them?” “How are they outpacing me?” “Where can I shine more?”
Now don’t get me wrong, learning from others is a great thing. Competition can be a good thing too. A positive motive behind leadership comparison can lead us to unhealthy places if not kept in proper check.
Unique contexts and challenges
One of the fundamental reasons to steer clear of leadership comparisons lies are the unique situations and challenges that leaders face. Each organizational setting is unique, shaped by its own culture, history, and external environment. Leaders must navigate through a myriad of challenges that may be specific to their industry, company size, or geographical location. Drawing parallels between leaders without considering the contextual nuances can lead to oversimplified assessments and misguided conclusions about leadership effectiveness and success.
For example, when I led leaders across a very large geographical area, some thrived in a small rural market, while others at the same business level struggled in more tourist-type areas where the population was more transient. One large business had years worth of bad culture to chip away at while a leader that had been in the same role for a decade didn’t suffer from the same challenges. Now the two leaders may think that one is performing better than the other because they don’t fully see the unique struggles that the other one is going through. It’s hard to compare yourself to another in a healthy way when you don’t know what is going on behind closed doors.
Individual leadership styles
Leadership is inherently personal and reflective of your values, personality, and experiences. Each leader develops a unique style of leadership that resonates with their own strengths and preferences. When you compare yourself to other leaders you risk oversimplifying this complexity of personality traits and experiences and potentially neglect the authenticity that defines effective leadership.
Consider the contrast between a charismatic, visionary leader and a more reserved, analytical leader. Both styles can be effective in different contexts, and attempting to measure one against the other may dismiss the inherent strengths that each leader brings to the table. Authentic leadership stems from staying true to one’s unique strengths and not conforming to external comparisons.
Fostering a collaborative culture
Leadership is not a solitary endeavor, or at least shouldn’t be, and instead should be a collaborative process that involves the team that you are serving. Comparisons between leaders can inadvertently create an ultra-competitive atmosphere, where team members may feel pressured to conform to a particular leadership archetype. This can harm creativity, collaboration, and the diversity of thought that are essential for organizational success. I’ve seen this play out on a large scale when competitiveness went too far and it harmed the culture for both large teams as a result as they too became ultra-competitive and an “us vs. them” mindset set in on both teams.
By steering away from comparisons, you can cultivate a culture that celebrates individual strengths and encourage diverse perspectives. A collaborative environment allows for collective leadership to grow, where each team member contributes their unique skills and experiences to achieve shared goals.
Comparing leadership career journeys
In addition to the people leader aspect of leadership comparison, it can be tempting to compare the personal journey too. It especially be a challenge for high performers, to compare where they are in their career trajectory to other high performers. “Why am I not moving up as fast?” “I’ve been here longer than them and they are already moving to a new role.”
Remember that there is a difference in Success vs Excellence (Show 150) as well as Aspiration vs. Ambition (Show 250). even though it may feel similar, you may actually be in totally different parts of the career rock wall.
Avoiding comparisons is an ingredient for creating authentic, effective, and adaptive leadership. Leaders who navigate the complex path of leadership without falling for the allure of comparisons are better equipped to inspire and guide their teams toward success in an ever-changing world.
Make a better tomorrow.
-ZH
