College football season has kicked off, and the Oregon Ducks took on Boise State last night for the Broncos’ home (and season) opener. As a Boisean, I was glad to see the Broncos dominating on both sides of the ball. But one question that wandered through my mind during the game was “are the Broncos really that good, or are the Ducks really that bad?”

In the workplace we can look at people and ask the same question: Is the person really that good, or are his/her co-workers really that bad?

In truth, Einstein’s theory of relativity may apply!

Recently I saw an optical illusion that shows two orange circles in two different squares. In one square the background is light, in the other the background is dark. In the two squares the circles look to be distinctly different colors. However, if the circles are viewed side-by-side without any background hues, we find they are exactly the same color.

Similarly, it’s become too easy to label people in the workplace as ‘superstars’ or ‘losers.’ Yet the worst bum in one workplace could be a superstar in another, and the biggest superstar on one team might be mediocre on another. As the saying goes, everything is relative.

What does this mean for you?

If all that interests you is being viewed as a superstar, go find a mediocre workplace and plug yourself in. It’s that easy.

But if you truly want to be a superstar (no matter where you work), first you should find your niche—what you’re passionate about—and then apply yourself (i.e., study) to be the best in your field.

That may sound obvious, but too many people are trying to be superstars in their “job,” not in a field that interests them! Again, to be true superstars, we must first find our calling, and then we must become students of our craft. “Good” is the enemy of “best.”

Think of it this way: First do what you love, and then love what you do. If you want to be a true superstar, it’s tough to do it while working at something that’s not your natural gifting.

Granted, to fly at your best you must also be in a healthy environment. Therefore, if you’re doing the above but still being held back, it might be necessary to replant yourself into a different company—or maybe even a different industry altogether.

However, no matter what, the most important thing is to first find your calling—what you love to do—and work hard to be the best at it. It’s hard to picture someone being a true superstar without that foundation.

PS. I highly recommend Seth Godin’s book The Dip. It will help you get unstuck from the things that don’t matter and focus you on the things that do. After last night’s game, it’s apparent that players on both the Broncos AND the Ducks could benefit by reading it!

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Filed in Work, Motivation, Workplace, Corporate Culture