At the Olympic Games, the first three places prepare for the medal ceremony by standing next to the podium. The person who placed third steps up for the bronze. They’d have to be pretty good to be the third best in the world.
Second place is good too, just a little bit better than third.
The gold medal goes to the best, and so it should.
Where should our focus be as people, leaders and organisations? On being the best? I have a different view and it’s based on the fact that their can only be one best, one gold medal winner.
But ALL of us can be better. Better people, better leaders and better organisations. Sure, we have to be good, but that’s like a base level. Being focused on being the best (when their can only be one best) may be undermining our success.
We can all strive to be better today than we were yesterday. As leaders we should be focusing on our most important job, and that is to make others better.
If there is to be a best, perhaps it should be the best version of ourselves, our personal best.