I’ve found this to be profoundly true in both my personal and professional life. It’s easy to fall into the trap of comparison:

  • “Look at that person. I could never be that good.”
  • “Look at that company. They scaled so fast, and we started at the same time. Now look at them!”

Sound familiar? Maybe you’ve played the comparison game too.

Now, don’t confuse comparison with learning from best practices. Always be learning, growing, and striving for improvement. But when we compare ourselves to others, doubt creeps in. The key is to shift our focus to compare ourselves not to others but to our own potential.

Ask yourself:

  • “What do I (or we) need to do to get better with the resources, tools, and people we have?”

There’s always room for growth. Don’t let comparison steal your joy. Instead, focus on what’s working and build on it. Strengthen what already brings success, and tackle weak areas with a solid plan.

Here’s the truth: When you compare, you go nowhere. It leads to self-doubt, which erodes confidence—both of which destroy what could be.

As leaders, we must be all in on growth and improvement—right where we are, with what we have.