3 Ways That A 'Work Rival' Can Motivate You To Excel

Nothing lights a fire underneath you faster than the thought of being second best.

By Mark Travers, Ph.D. | July 25, 2024

Imagine going about your everyday work life when your manager introduces a new team member. During the introductions, your eyes meet, and you instantly know you won't get along. All you want is to wipe that smug grin off their face. Suddenly, your nonchalant work life gets interesting, and everything you do now comes with the added flair of outperforming the new guy.

As days pass, you start to appreciate and even befriend your rival. They are not only good at their job but excel in other areas, too. Your initial animosity begrudgingly turns into respect, and you notice you've gone from average to top performer, thanks to your rival—though you'd never let them know that.

A 2020 ResumeLab survey asked over a thousand Americans about workplace competition. Over 80% of employees experienced competition with a co-worker, and around 70% of them considered it constructive and friendly.

Here are three reasons why having a rival might be the key to unlocking your true potential.

1. A Rival Can Increase Your Motivation And Performance

According to a 2022 review published in Organizational Psychology and Review, rivalry generally boosts motivation and performance. The effect is stronger when the rivalry is between individuals rather than groups.

When you have a rival at work, it can be both fun and motivating. Competing head-to-head with your rival sparks a desire to outperform them, pushing you to achieve greater results. This drive to be better than your "nemesis" makes you put more effort and care into your work.

You become more active and engaged, striving to surpass your rival's benchmark. This competition boosts your motivation, and when your hard work pays off and you beat them at a particular task, few things can be more satisfying than that victory.

Healthy competition at work not only boosts motivation and performance but can also significantly improve one's chances of getting promoted. The 2020 survey also found that employees with a positive rival—constructive and friendly co-workers—were twice as likely to receive promotions compared to those with negative rivalries—toxic co-workers with selfish interests.

2. A Rival Can Spark Creativity And Innovation

Having a work rival pushes you to think of ways to outperform them, encouraging you to explore new approaches and ideas you might not have considered otherwise. This competitiveness can spark your creativity and lead you to contribute to your team in innovative and valuable ways.

2019 research highlights that, in business, rivalry and competition are key drivers of innovation and improved performance. They push individuals and organizations to think creatively, work harder and continuously seek better solutions to stay ahead in the market. Here's how rivalry helps drive innovation:

• Promoting new ideas. Rivalry pushes individuals to develop innovative solutions and ideas, leading to new methods, processes or products. This competition sparks creativity, new approaches and improved performance.
• Avoiding stagnation. The research notes that dominant firms may stifle innovation by excluding disruptive competitors. Similarly, in the workplace, a lack of competition can reduce the incentive to innovate. Rivalry keeps everyone engaged and encourages a dynamic environment.
• Constructive rivalry. Healthy and constructive competition is beneficial in the workplace. When rivals focus on outperforming through better performance rather than playing dirty or becoming complacent, it leads to a more motivated and innovative workforce.

3. A Rival Can Boost Your Personal And Professional Growth

Another 2017 study examined the effects of social comparison dynamics on workplace behavior, illustrating how workplace rivalry can drive personal growth in several key ways:

• Evaluation and benchmarking. Social comparisons help individuals identify performance gaps and set benchmarks by comparing themselves with high-performing colleagues.
• Motivation and goal-setting. Competitive environments motivate employees to set higher personal goals and strive to outperform their peers, fostering personal and professional growth.
• Behavioral adjustments. The study found that seeing colleagues' improving performance can lead employees to engage in less positive and more negative behaviors. However, this awareness can prompt self-reflection, leading employees to adjust their approach and focus on constructive performance improvement.
• Awareness of temporal changes. Adding the temporal dimension to social comparisons (e.g., seeing a colleague's performance improve over time) can influence how individuals perceive their own progress and motivate them to maintain a continuous improvement mindset. This awareness can encourage employees to adopt long-term strategies for personal development rather than seeking short-term gains.

While some rivalries can become contentious, a healthy workplace rivalry can inspire remarkable achievements. While some individuals are inherently self-motivated, others find motivation through external competition, whether by providing for loved ones or outperforming rivals. Sometimes, a single individual can profoundly impact another's life, and for some, that person is their rival. After all, no hero evolves without a foil.

Is your rivalry with your work nemesis fueled by jealousy? Take the Cognitive Jealousy Scale to learn more.

A similar version of this article can also be found on Forbes.com, here.