Chapter 34 - Don’t Compete, Contribute

Imani Rhodes

Picture it: you’re sitting in first place. Number two is right behind you—same team, same target, same leaderboard. You watch them work and spot a flaw you used to have: a tiny habit that, once someone showed you, leveled you up. If you pull them aside and fix it, they’ll get better—maybe better than you. Do you tell them?That’s the fork in the road: compete or contribute. Being competitive isn’t the villain. The question is, are you team-first? If your nudge pushes them past you, do you feel robbed…or proud? If they take the advice and thank you, do they feel like a threat…or a teammate? The answer isn’t fate; it’s culture—and you’re building it with whatever you do next. It’s not about your rank, or your score, or even your success. It’s about your assist column. That’s the real scoreboard.

Miles Carter

Yeah, I love that. And, you know, the research backs it up. Harvard Business Review, Google’s Project Aristotle—both found that teams with high helping behavior, where people actually support each other, outperform on every metric. Productivity, morale, innovation, happiness. The secret sauce? Psychological safety. That’s when people feel safe to speak up, take risks, and, like, actually admit when they need help. It’s not just a feel-good thing—it’s measurable.

Imani Rhodes

Right, and it’s not just about being nice. It’s about equal turn-taking, openness, and clarity. I always think of it like jazz—everyone gets a solo, but the magic is in how you listen and riff off each other. If you’re just playing louder, you’re missing the point. And, Miles, you had a story about this, didn’t you? That new coach at your old consulting firm?

Miles Carter

Oh, yeah. So, we had this new coach join—didn’t have the flashiest resume, but within a month, they’d shared this killer client pitch template with the whole team. Suddenly, everyone’s pitches got tighter, and morale shot up. People started going to them for advice, not just because they had answers, but because they made it safe to ask. That’s the “lift others, lift yourself” effect in real time. Their reputation just exploded, and it wasn’t because they were chasing credit—it was because they were making everyone better.

Imani Rhodes

That’s the networked reputation, right? When your value is known beyond your role, because you’re the person who makes the room smarter. And it’s not just a business thing. I mean, think about sports—assist leaders in basketball or hockey, they’re the glue. They’re the ones with the long, respected careers, not just the highlight reels.

Miles Carter

Exactly. And it’s funny, because the more you help, the more people want to help you. It’s like a flywheel. Adam Grant calls it “otherish giving”—you’re strategic, you don’t burn yourself out, but you invest in the right people and projects. That’s how you build social capital that actually lasts.

Imani Rhodes

So, if you’re listening and thinking, “Well, I’m not a manager, I don’t have a team,”—doesn’t matter. The question is, are you lifting people as you go? Because that’s what compounds into opportunity, trust, and, honestly, a career that feels good to live in.

Imani Rhodes

Let’s play this out, Miles. I’ll be the sales rep who’s hoarding leads, and you be the one who’s, I don’t know, actually sharing them for the team win. Ready?

Miles Carter

Alright, here we go. “Hey, Imani, I noticed you’ve got a ton of leads this month. Mind tossing a couple my way?”

Imani Rhodes

“Uh, yeah, I’ll check… but, you know, I’ve got a lot on my plate. Maybe next quarter?”

Miles Carter

Now, let’s flip it. “Hey, Imani, I’ve got a lead that’s not really my style, but I think you’d crush it. Want me to send it over?”

Imani Rhodes

“Absolutely, and actually, I’ve got one that’s a better fit for you, too. Let’s swap.”

Miles Carter

See, that’s the difference. Adam Grant’s research—he talks about how healthy competition is “us vs. the problem,” not “me vs. you.” When it’s toxic, people start hiding info, chasing credit, and trust just tanks. Gallup found that when competition gets ugly, engagement drops and people start heading for the exits.

Imani Rhodes

And it’s not just sales. Think about a server in a restaurant who quietly picks up a teammate’s slack, or a developer who shares a fix in the team chat so nobody else hits the same bug. Those are the real MVPs. But too often, we only celebrate the star players, not the assists. What if we flipped that script?

Miles Carter

Yeah, like, what if every team had an “Assist of the Day” wall? Or, you know, a community channel where you just post, “Hey, shoutout to Jamie for having my back on that client call.” That public celebration of assists changes the culture. Suddenly, people are looking for ways to help, not just ways to stand out.

Imani Rhodes

And it’s contagious. When you see someone pass credit, or share a template, or just say, “I’ll take the trays, you take the tables,”—it gives everyone permission to do the same. It’s like, the tone shifts from defensive to curious, from “How do I look?” to “How do we win?”

Miles Carter

And that’s where the real magic happens. Because when the scoreboard is “us vs. the standard” instead of “me vs. you,” you get more innovation, more grit, and way less drama. It’s not about losing your edge—it’s about sharpening it together.

Imani Rhodes

So, let’s get practical. How do you actually build a culture where contribution isn’t just a poster on the wall, but something people do every day? I love the Pixar Braintrust example—everyone in the room gives feedback, but it’s about making the work better, not proving you’re the smartest. That’s peer-to-peer candor, and it’s why they keep making hits.

Miles Carter

And Toyota’s Andon Cord—this is one of my favorites. Any worker can pull the cord to stop the line if there’s a problem. It’s not about blame, it’s about protecting the standard. That’s empowerment in action. And it turns mistakes into shared learning, right there on the floor. And here’s the best part—when that cord gets pulled, the whole crew rallies. They might stay late, miss a quota, or push back a delivery, but everyone knows the priority is fixing it together. That kind of unity builds more trust than any on-time shipment ever could. Imagine if every team had a “stop-the-line” phrase—like, “Cord-pull!”—and it meant, “Let’s fix this together.”

Imani Rhodes

That’s a game changer. Quick example of unselfish behavior: A service team’s swamped—calls piling up, and a new hire’s struggling with parts codes. The senior tech pauses their own work, whips up a quick cheat sheet, and pins it where everyone can see it. Then says, “I’ll lose five minutes now so we all save fifty this week.” That’s contribution in motion—slowing down once to speed up forever.

Miles Carter

Or, month-end crunch in accounting. AP lead builds a one-page “invoice-ready” checklist for project managers. Says, “Let’s stop scoring each other—let’s beat the close.” Suddenly, everyone’s rowing in the same direction.

Imani Rhodes

Or in healthcare—a nurse who spots a process gap and shares a fix with the whole shift, not just her bestie. That’s how you build collective efficacy. Teams that believe “we got this” stay in the fight longer, and the results show it.

Miles Carter

Alright, let’s give people some tomorrow-morning drills. First, share a checklist or template you built—, explain what problem it solves. Second, do a quick “assist text”—just ask, “What do you need? I’ve got 15 minutes at 2:30.” Third, after your next meeting, send a recap that highlights two teammates’ contributions. These are micro-rituals, but they build a repeatable culture of contribution.

Imani Rhodes

And don’t forget—publicly pass credit. If someone saved your project, say their name. If you learned something, share it. That’s how you make contribution contagious. And if you’re thinking, “We’re too busy for this,”—honestly, five minutes of ritual can save you hours of rework and a ton of stress.

Miles Carter

So, here’s the challenge: Start tomorrow. Lift one person, in one way, before lunch. Share your win, your template, your “stop-the-line” story in the community comments. That’s how you make this real. The action items are what make it stick. We want you to be the best—so don’t just listen, do. And if you need ideas, check the comments for checklists, assist stories, and ways to connect. That’s where the real growth happens.

Imani Rhodes

Alright, Miles, I think that’s a wrap for today. Remember, your assist column is your legacy. Win the room, not the race. We’ll see you next time—keep lifting, keep sharing, and keep building the kind of team you’d actually want to work on.