July - September 2017 •
The Lion King
• 41
Feature
By Morenikeji Omotoso
Is
Competition
Healthy?
B
efore we get into this debate, let’s
refer back to our trusted old friend,
google dictionary. Competition is
defined as “The activity or condition
of striving to gain or win something
by defeating or establishing superior-
ity over others." Let's break this down
into two parts: "activity or condition of
striving to gain or win something" and
"defeating or establishing superiority
over others."
Striving to gain or win something is a
very noble and admirable aspiration.
There is nothing wrong with striving
for excellence or advancement. Hard
work, dedication and persistence are
all quality trails of successful leaders. In
many instances, setting a personal or
professional goal and working towards
it is typically the way to go. The sec-
ond part of the definition is where
things get a bit slippery.
“Defeating or establishing superiority
over others” can mean a variety of
things in different contexts. For exam-
ple, in the case of Disney princess
Mulan, she strived to make the most
out of her unfortunate deployment
into the Chinese army. She worked
hard to ensure she excelled above
her male counterparts. This resulted in
her gaining the attention of the com-
mander of the army and it earned
her respect from the other soldiers.
Mulan's display of persistence, adapt-
ability and fortitude worked out for her
in the end. One thing that set Mulan
out as a great leader is the fact that
she did not allow her climb to the top
affect her relationships with friends or
comrades. She understood that even
though she was putting in the extra
work and increasing in rank, it didn’t
make her better or superior to them.
When discussing competition amongst
peers or colleagues, it is extremely
important to take sportsmanship into
consideration. There is a reason why
soccer players shake hands before
and after a match. There is a lot to be
said about NBA players who can play
entire seasons on opposing teams but
are able to come together and play
on a combined team to represent
their country in the Olympic Games.
Competition is healthy because it
promotes growth, helps people to
become goal oriented, it encourag-
es innovation and education. Once
the primary goal shifts from personal
advancement to superiority or con-
niving dominion over others, issues are
bound to arise. As you strive for suc-
cess, keep your head up, continue to
give your best and always be willing
to lend a helping hand. It costs you
nothing to reach back and help pull
someone up as you climb the ladder
of success; the secret that no one
tells you is that THERE IS SPACE FOR
EVERYONE.
