The most obvious way for me to evaluate my skills is to compare myself with others. The most obvious way to figure out where my company stands is to compare it with our competitors. And of course, the most obvious way to do these comparisons is also the least beneficial way, if growth is my goal.
Every person and every company is so different, regarding our specific experiences & skills, that comparisons are always unfair, and it’s hard to draw actionable conclusions. Also, if I compare myself to others all the time, I will always walk right behind them.
If I want to lead and achieve sustainable growth, I need to compare my current self to my past self. That way, I can make sure that I continuously grow my character & skills, no matter what. That’s also the only way to outgrow, for example, my company’s competition.