Competition: Learning to Love All 34 Talent Themes

On a recent Theme Thursday Season 1 live webcast, we discussed the Competition theme with Jamie Librot, Gallup Senior Learning Solutions Consultant.

The essence of the Competition theme is comparison. People with Competition are instinctively aware of other people's performance. They have a deep aspiration for first place. Competition drives them to outwork, outshine and outperform anyone else. They will invest in teaching, research, training and study to win. People with Competition have grit and determination, but also a boundless energy and enthusiasm to chase their goals. They are at their best when they can measure their performance against others.

People with Competition need tangible metrics like scorecards and other performance indicators. They love to measure goals in any way possible. Competition is a strong, external motivator that provides people with clarity through comparison. Those with Competition love to seek out challenges and push themselves to do better. It is not enough for them to do their best, they must be the best. And on top of that, they want to compete with the best -- they can lose energy when surrounded by mediocrity.

There is a persistent belief in our culture that it is in poor taste to compare yourself to others, leading some to believe competition is a negative quality. Yet our society constantly compares people, products and services in many areas of life. We laud comparison shopping -- finding the best deal, the perfect college or the top team. Clearly, competition is valued in our society and used in daily decision making for many people.

Jamie wants to dispel a number of myths about Competition. First, that Competition is a bad thing -- it is not, as discussed above. Second, that Competition doesn't have a gender. While Competition is more common in men, women like Jamie identify strongly with it and find it to be a critical component of who they are. Third, Competition does not make you a bad leader. Prior to joining Gallup, Jamie was a manager with direct reports at an education company. In just two years, she was able to manage and coach the most poorly performing center to become the most productive center. Jamie credits that management win, in part, to her Competition because it made her into her team's best cheerleader and supporter.

To learn more about Competition and how Jamie uses it in her everyday life, watch the full video or listen to the audio above.

Jamie Librot's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are Achiever, WOO, Focus, Arranger and Competition.