Summer swimming was more than just a sport when I was growing up.  It was a way of life!  The Clarks trekked from Northwest Washington, DC out to Palisades Pool (yes, the future home of Katie Ledecky!) in Cabin John, MD in the wee hours of each weekday summer morning.  And our parents would then shuttle us around the county each Saturday morning with our towels and goggles in tow.  There were no summer vacations in June or July.  There were only practices, meets, team cheers, and delicious Roy Rogers Double-R-Bar Burgers to celebrate every Saturday morning.  Breakfast of champions!

My older brother Jerry and older sister Jeanne were extremely dedicated swimmers, and I learned the meaning of competition and leadership from a little brother’s perspective.  When it was my turn to lead the team, I knew how to balance hard work and fun.  But I also developed a sharp competitive edge.

In swim practices, there was a known hierarchy.  Each lane got progressively “faster” as you moved left to right across the pool.  The swimmers all had the opportunity to be promoted, and it was an objective structure based purely on speed.  The lane on the far right was reserved for the fastest swimmers and, even within that lane, there was an order to the workout.  The fastest swimmer would start.  And the next fasetst would allow five seconds before pushing off.  And so on.

The universal signal to pass a swimmer was to tap on their feet.  That indicated the swimmer in front was slowing down the process.  And in the summer I turned 14, there was another talented 14-year-old swimmer, Alex Levy (a girl!), who was constantly trying to pass me.  My pride wouldn’t allow me to yield and I sped up each time I felt a tap on my feet.  It drove me out of my comfort zone.  It pushed me beyond limits I never thought I could surpass.  And, though stressful at times, it kept me sharp and focused for the entire summer.

And a funny thing happened.  I had the best times and the most productive summer of my “career”!  That tapping on my feet provided the motivation that allowed me to reach new heights.  And couldn’t we all benefit by having someone push us beyond our limits in our everyday lives?

Competition Breeds Excellence

Too often, healthy competition gets buried in the workplace.  We get so wrapped in feelings and making sure everyone is comfortable that we forget about the positive aspects of competition.  Quality organizations and management teams realize that everyone responds differently to challenges.  There is no one-size-fits-all when we are dealing with individuals.  Some people would rather be sunburned than be overtly challenged in the workplace.  That is okay and it takes all kinds of employees to make a company successful.

But many of us benefit from someone pushing us to achieve more.  The salesperson who constantly sets the most number of meetings.  The lawyer who out bills all of his or her peers.  The CEO who keeps stealing market share in a competitive market.  The manager who outworks his or her team.  The star player who stays after practice to work on his or her game.  Examples of excellence, grit, and hard work are all around us.  They may make us feel uncomfortable at times but it ultimately brings out the best in us.  Not all of us can generate motivation within.  Sometimes, we need an external example of excellence.  Sometimes we need to feel the white-hot specter of competition.  Sometimes, we need a harsh reminder that we are falling behind.  Sometimes, we need someone to tap on our feet and threaten to pass us on the left!

Iron Sharpens Iron

And the same is true in all aspects of our lives.  Are we practicing hard enough?  Are we studying hard enough?  Are we expressing our love and appreciation for our loved ones enough?  Are we getting the most out of our potential?  We don’t always have it figured out.  Sometimes, we need a reboot to push us out of our comfort zone.  Sometimes, we need a  stark reminder that we are failing.

We weren’t put on this earth to lazily swim up and down the pool.  We have to put the throttle down.  We have to carve up the water and charge the wall.  We have to match the intensity of the people trying to take what is rightfully ours.  We have to find a gear that we never thought possible.

Some of that will come from internal motivation.  But sometimes the best motivation comes from healthy external competition.  We can’t ignore it or run from it.  We need to embrace it.  We need to lean in.  And we need to have fun with it.  Iron sharpens iron. 

And most of all, we need to be thankful.  This competition will fuel our resilience.  And that will help us thrive in this life.  Sometimes, we all need a little tap on our feet.