“Man, that guy is a sore loser! You’d think that not winning is the end of the world. Good grief! He had amazing growth year over year. Why can’t he be happy with what he achieved?”
“What do you think of Bobby’s mom when the kids are playing at the field? I think she’s a screaming maniac! Doesn’t she know these are eight year olds? Winning is not the most important thing at this age.”
“Do you always have to beat your brother? You need to let him win every once in a while or he’ll think he can never succeed. You don’t have to turn everything into a competition.”
Competition – those with the drive to win.
Strengths: They Measure and Strive to Succeed
Is there someone in your life who is constantly comparing themselves or measuring themselves against others? Maybe they are constantly looking at the Leader Board at the office. Or maybe they are always entering contests. Or perhaps they seem to always be pitting themselves against other people in ways that has them bragging over their success. Winning seems to be the only thing they care about. And if they lose? Oh my! It’s as if it’s the end of the world.
You may have discovered someone with the StrengthsFinder talent theme of Competition.
Competition Must Be #1
Those who are strong in Competition are born to be winners. They look for ways to compete — not just in contests and formal competitions, but in every day life. They are measurement oriented and expect themselves to be #1. They may compete against themselves and their own performance, or they may race to beat others. They are performance driven, and driven to win. They love rivalries and games where they have an edge. To them, second place is first place loser, and may cause them to hang their head in shame.
The prizes have to be right — they won’t compete in just anything, and especially in areas where they do not believe they have a chance to win. Winning gives them a rush of satisfaction that cannot compare to anything else in their lives. They never compete for the sake of competing. They only compete to win.
Competition: driven to measure performance.
They Need a Worthy Opponent or Measurement
My friend, Lyndi, gave birth to twins last year. When she and her husband learned that they we’re having two babies, they had a special medical consultation to explain the differences, the risks and the challenges of carrying twins as compared to a single infant birth. The doctor explained that they wanted her to carry the babies for at least thirty-four weeks, and that thirty-six was better and thirty-eight was optimal. Lyndi remembers that conversation clearly, and the exact moment she decided that her baby girls would be born no earlier than thirty-eight weeks. And that’s exactly what happened!
Love Your Competitor
The next time you meet someone who is highly competitive, ask them why winning is important. What are they measuring themselves against right now? Work to understand their drive and their need to win and help them find ways to match their skills against others. Make sure they discover the right measuring stick that satisfies their need to compare their performance.
And if they lose or miss their target? There’s no need to rehash it — they’re doing enough of that in their heads. But you can help them discover how to learn from their loss so as to improve their chances for winning the next time.
When working with someone high in Competition, ask yourself: Where could we use a little competition to reach our goals? Where can you place your natural competitor to take advantage of increasing growth or improve hitting your targets? They may be the very ones who can carry you to victory.
For more information about StrengthsFinder, visit www.GallupStrengthsCenter.com.
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