What you can learn from your professional rivals

Professional rivalries have the power to spur us on to greatness or turn us into the very worst versions of ourselves. They can be growth experiences or exercises in self-destruction. The secret to maximizing your rivalry potential is to allow enough distance, and then get reflective. Ask yourself: Where am I weak? (And, by extension, where might my rival be strong?) What do I value most? (And, therefore, what might I be tempted to overvalue?) And, finally, am I dreaming big enough? (Are my plans designed to beat my competitor or benefit my customer?)