The way forward: Competition vs Collaboration
Collaboration
How intimidated are you when someone is in your space, doing the same or a similar thing to you? It’s natural to feel defensive, but have you ever stopped to consider that perhaps collaboration could serve you better than competition?
At my high school, I was the 100 and 200-meter sprint champion for a few years. When I lined up at the start line, my only thought was to win the race. Luckily for me, I often did. But here's the thing—my speed was always relative to the next person I had to beat. I was only as fast as the person I was competing against. It wasn’t until I faced stronger competitors in wider competitions that I realised my limitations.
For me to compete at a higher level, I needed to:
Benchmark against the best
Train with the best
Collaborate with the best
These lessons became clear when I wasn't the fastest anymore. I realised that to grow, I needed to surround myself with people who were better than me and learn from them. Here’s how these principles apply beyond the track and into your entrepreneurial journey:
Benchmark Against the Best
If you never measure yourself against the top performers in your field, how do you know what’s possible? Benchmarking isn’t about copying—it’s about understanding what success looks like and creating a plan to reach it. When you study the best, you identify gaps in your own approach and see areas for improvement.
Train with the Best
Improving in isolation is tough. When you train with the best, you expose yourself to higher standards, innovative ideas, and different approaches. It pushes you to break your limits and stay on top of your game.
Collaborate with the Best
Collaboration makes us all better. It’s easy to see others in your field as competition, but the real growth comes when you work together. Instead of fearing that others will take your clients or ideas, think about what you could achieve by partnering with them. Collaboration can lead to new opportunities, shared knowledge, and faster progress.
These are especially important if you work for yourself. If you approach this with the right perspective, some of these relationships may become your closest allies.
Helpful Tips:
Identify industry leaders and study their best practices, not to compete but to gain insights for your own growth.
Find a mentor or join a group of peers who are at or above your skill level. Being around high-performing individuals challenges you to step up and grow faster.
Reach out to competitors and start a conversation. How can you collaborate in a way that benefits both parties? Maybe a joint venture or shared resources could open up new doors for everyone.
Remember, you may do similar things to your competitors, but only you are you. Embrace this fact and be authentic to it. Collaborate with the mindset of helping your competition. That way everyone wins.
"Competition makes us faster; collaboration makes us better." — Unknown
Reach out, and let's take time to discover how we can progress together. Remember daily to, 'Find value in your influence.' Your voice matters, and I'm excited to hear from and work with you!"
Written By: Paul Fawcett.
