A few weeks ago, I watched my son compete in the County Elementary School Cross-Country Meet. It was one of those warm afternoons where you could feel both the excitement and the nerves in the air among 4th and 5th graders. He earned his spot after running a mile at his school in 8 minutes and 41 seconds, good enough to be among the fastest runners there. We figured he would do well at the County meet, but with dozens of schools represented, our expectations were modest.
When the race began, the 4th-grade girls set the tone with the winner finishing around 7 minutes. For the 4th-grade boys, we expected a few standouts under that mark, but most kids would likely be behind. As the lead runners came into view near the finish, we never expected to see him. But there he was near the front, sprinting stride for stride with another boy. They had been trading positions during the last stretch of the race, pushing each other every step. When the results came in, my son had finished 14th overall with a time of 7 minutes and 7 seconds, more than a minute and a half faster than his qualifying time.
After the race, I asked him what happened. He said, “The kid next to me just kept going, so I did too.” The competition did not intimidate him. It inspired him. He found another gear because someone beside him showed what was possible.
The Power of Healthy Competition
That moment was more than a proud parenting story. It was a lesson in leadership, communication, and growth.
In Rounding the Bases: Winning Communication and Leadership for Engineers, I talk about how success in technical fields is not just about skill. It is about connection. We grow when we are part of teams and environments that push us to be better. Whether in business, engineering, or leadership, progress rarely happens in isolation.
We all need people who challenge our pace.
- The colleague who sets a higher standard for quality.
- The mentor who asks tougher questions.
- The teammate who refuses to settle for “good enough.”
These people are not competitors in a negative sense. They are catalysts. They bring out the best in us by showing what is possible and setting a pace that challenges us to rise to it.
Finding and Being the Pacesetter
Just as my son discovered a new level by running alongside someone slightly faster, we can achieve a similar breakthrough in our professional lives by surrounding ourselves with people who challenge and support us. It takes humility to see someone else’s strength not as a threat but as an invitation to improve.
As leaders, our role is twofold: to find people who push us and to be that person for others. The most successful teams are filled with pacesetters, individuals who bring energy, commitment, and excellence that ripple outward.
Running Together Toward Growth
The next time you are working on a project, ask yourself: Who is running beside me? Am I also pushing them to be better? What are they doing for me? When we build cultures where people encourage, challenge, and elevate each other, we do not just get better results. We discover potential we did not know we had.
Just like a 4th-grader who shaved a minute and a half off his best time because someone next to him showed how far he could go.
Want to learn more about mastering client communication, leadership, and technical delivery? Check out my book, Rounding the Bases: Winning Communication and Leadership for Engineers, available now on Amazon. Or contact me to speak at your next company event or professional gathering. Helping engineers stand out and win in their careers is what I love to do.
If this resonates with you, let’s continue the conversation! Connect with me on LinkedIn.
