Learn From Your Career Rivals to Avoid Jealousy and Improve
The TV shows have taught us that if someone is doing better in your career than you are, your goal should be to crush them in righteous rage . While it makes for a great story, learning from their experiences will probably help more.
While there is nothing wrong with a healthy competitive spirit, you are missing out on an educational experience if you resent your rivals instead of learning from them. As tips site The Muse points out, anyone in your field who makes you feel better than you probably has something to teach you:
In other words, my network is not a competition; this is a class. I used to think, “This person is much better and I need to defeat him or her.” Now, if I come across someone who is doing something that I would like to do, I think, “This person is doing [thing x] very well. I’m going to steal one great piece of advice from him or her and add it to my arsenal of tips and tricks. “
Of course, it’s still great if you want to beat your opponents. If your opponent has just gotten a promotion and you want it better, go for it! Competition can be a great motivator, but don’t let pride get in the way. You can still ask your opponents for advice or learn from their strategies.