This blog is the first in the series, My Top 10 Blunders and How You Can Avoid Them.

As I reflect on my career, I must admit it did not take me long to note many more than 10 blunders. For my sanity, I have decided to share only what might be the top 10 in this blog series. I wouldn’t say this first blunder was the biggest but it certainly felt like the right place to start. It certainly ranks in the top five.    I have always been very competitive. My friends and wife would say, super competitive. For example, if you and I were to go hit tennis balls just for some practice, after about 15 minutes, I would be encouraging you to keep score somehow. So it’s easy to see how I allowed a strength taken to excess, to become a weakness. In fact, it actually set me back at times in my career.

You see, I was so driven by my competitive spirit that I was laser focused on growing my knowledge and achievements. This intense focus on “ME” actually prevented me from having a much bigger impact early in my career. I simply did not help my team members grow along with me. But, when I turned the “M” upside down and focused on “WE,” bigger things started to happen. The more I helped and served others, the more support and opportunities I received too. I discovered that the more I gave, the more I received. Once I was focused on “WE,” we collaborated to make an impact as a team that would not have been possible as a one-trick pony.  

My advice: Don’t consume yourself with only developing “ME.” If you focus on and take care of “WE,” then “ME” will also grow and develop faster; the results will be tremendous.