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Vienna, Austria – Ignore the competition; truly successful people are more distinctive than the rest, not better.

Why is there so much mediocrity in the world – why is it so hard to find anything genuinely good? Because "good” is always threatened by “better” until only the best survive.

The struggle for the top position is always hard – whether in sports leagues, music charts or the global economy. The top dogs are constantly at risk and should never rest on their laurels – at any moment they could be dethroned by a young pretender. Even a powerful brand can be knocked out of the race in a single day, despite years of leading the pack unchallenged. In the end there will always be someone better.

Although it is never easy to be the best, there is a position that is better than the best. If you are truly unique, there may be no alternative to you.

In terms of careers, you might have to assert yourself against 300 other candidates, or you could be the only candidate invited for interview. Maybe your interlocutor will tell you: “Either we hire you for this project, or we do not do the project at all. You are the only person we want to speak to.” 
How can you become the one and only? It is rare and difficult to beat all comers and be so good that nobody can compare to you. It is better – and far more achievable – to show excellent performance without competing at all. Ultimately there are always winners and losers in a battle, and when one hard struggle ends, the next one begins.

When you compare yourself to others, you may come to realize what they have to offer and how you could increase your capabilities. But in the long run, no one survives competition – there is always someone better.

Those who compete are often under great pressure. Young candidates at the start of their careers are highly replaceable, and in a particularly weak position. However, they become more unique as they develop professionally, and are able to exercise more negotiating power.

Truly successful people never return to the phase when they were “the best,” and nor would they want to. Instead, they highlight how unique they are and take every opportunity to showcase their unique knowledge, skills and network. They are looking for a professional and personal environment in which they are matchless – nobody can compare to them.

Conrad Pramböck is the Head of Compensation Consulting at Pedersen & Partners. Based in Vienna, Austria, he is responsible for consulting companies on all aspects of compensation, including providing companies with up-to-date market information on salary ranges and design of bonus systems across all industries and geographies. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Pramböck held several senior positions in international consultancy firms. He started his career with a German Consultancy firm working in management consulting and later in the Compensation Consulting business unit based in Austria. For the following seven years he worked with one of the top Austrian Executive Search firms as the Head of Compensation Consulting. He was responsible for all international compensation consulting activities and developed and maintained an international compensation database in 40 countries.