Renewing Your Mind in LeadershipSample

Beyond Competitiveness

The business world wants people and companies to compete fiercely. Usually, there are conversations about achieving win-win negotiations, the search for blue oceans in the market, penetrating new markets, or keeping "a bigger piece of the pie." However, when God's children are focused on being a source of blessings to others, God provides them with the wisdom to pursue new and creative routes that go beyond traditional business competitive schemes.

I once visited Japan, and a prominent leader in Tokyo, while walking us through the Japanese parliament, told us that, in his opinion, Japanese culture always thinks about how to make the "biggest possible pie" in any area of life or work, rather than thinking about "competing for the existing pieces of the pie." That mentality changes the perspective of things and their filtering. It is an expansive vision of abundance, not divisive, not focused on scarcity.

Abram is a beautiful biblical example of someone with an expansive (non-competitive) mindset. He had life in abundance even though he had not fought any wars, conquered people, or eliminated the competition, unlike Nimrod. Abram was skilled at multiplying, adding value to his means of existence (Genesis 13:1-18). Through work, creativity, care, and attention, he managed to increase the well-being of everyone with whom he interacted.

People often see things from a competitive angle, which is usually selfish, but our God is a creative God who has thousands of ways to get His provision to His children when they think of benefiting others rather than themselves.

For Reflection:According to Wouter Droopers, "Entrepreneurs who work according to this paradigm are constantly asking, how can I promote the well-being of the person I know?"

Dr. Jesús Sampedro