What Can We Learn From Our Competitors?

I recently went to an exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum Art that got me thinking about leadership and in particular this question: what can we learn from our competitors? The exhibit focused on two painters from the 19th century—Edouard Manet and Edgar Degas. They were rock stars! (Think “Taylor Swift and Beyonce” from the 19th century!) And they had a complicated relationship over the years; they were friends and competitors, adversaries and even enemies for a time. But they leveraged what they learned from each other to become even more proficient—and creative—artists. The leadership take away for me was that we have a choice in how we think about our competitors. We can give in to the impulse to mock what they do, discredit them at every opportunity, even try to eliminate them. Or, we can step back and appreciate what they do, and look for ways to learn from them to improve our business and become a better leader. This podcast describes the unexpected painting that illustrates how even hostility can lead to innovation.