In any job, we usually have a leader.
If we are interested in extending our career, some go further and seek a coach or mentor. They all have a role in bettering us, and dependent on their skills, they contribute to our career progression.
I challenge myself to find something different.
A nemesis.
A nemesis is like a dark twin, a Luna Park mirror where everything is distorted but familiar. I look for a Joker to my Batman, a Larry Bird to my Magic Johnson, a Bezos to my Musk.
Someone who shares my DNA shares my style and intellect but motivates me to outperform them.
When someone competes with a nemesis, their performance improves.
A nemesis is not your enemy, and your emotions towards your nemesis are clenching, not venting, fuming, not abusing.
I now watch those who play against me more closely. These people probably feel that I am their nemesis. Interesting. The dynamic in the relationship changes when I look at these sorts of colleagues that way. I am now much more sensitive to the true nature of the people who cause me grief.
To defeat a nemesis, you need to become more like them. Look at how more alike Bezos and Musk are now.
That’s why I challenge myself to find a nemesis.
They are more performance-enhancing than a mentor, a coach or a leader.