When he knew death was on the doorstep, San Francisco 49ers Hall-of-Fame Coach Bill Walsh wanted to personally say goodbye to his most ardent competitors from his NFL days.

He didn’t have a close relationship with some of the men, but he did have great respect for their skills and the level of competition they brought to their match-ups.

His journey was about thanking them, appreciating their value in his life, and demonstrating his respect for their skills. 

Walsh loved the competition, he loved the battles and believed each one, win or lose, made him a better teacher and leader. 

Walsh wanted the competition.

As he said, “I’m a better coach at 52 than 42. Some people think they are excellent at 32, and I don’t think so. I think you are best when you’ve faced the best for an extended time.” 

Walsh believed competition made you complete. 

But in many organizations, guarding one’s desk is the modus operandi. Self-preservation becomes more important than being great. 

When a person in an organization doesn’t want to hire the best of the best, then the organization is in “guard-your-desk mode,” not win mode. 

Fear of competition is what frequently drives organizations toward mediocrity. 

You might ask: What’s the harm in protecting yourself? Isn’t it natural to want to save yourself from someone taking your source of income? 

Clearly, the answer is yes, which may benefit you in the short term; however, it only extends the shelf life — and eventually, the end will be at our doorstep. 

By having a self-interest leader run any company, the culture becomes territorial, and desk guarding becomes the primary function of the day.

Resentment then runs throughout the organization, causing a civil war inside.  Self-interest leaders hold their positions solely because of their unwillingness to change, their need for continuity.

But what appears to be continuity becomes destruction caused by a lack of growth, development and advancement. 

Are you a self-interest leader? Are you guarding your desk? 

Here are six signs:

1. Self Interest leaders fight change, fight disruption, love status quo.

2. Self-Interest leaders are not curious. They are learned, not learners. 

3. Self-Interest leaders keep information to themselves, spin a story which tells a tale of their value, not the reality. 

4. Self-Interest leaders blame others, make changes around them, never change their habits. 

5. Self-Interest leaders hire down, never hire the best. They maintain control by never hiring someone who might be a threat to their kingdom.

6. Self-Interest leaders never recognize the competition, never want to be challenged. 

We must all embrace competition and avoid guarding our desks.

We must also follow the Walsh path of wanting to compete — respecting those who make us better along the way. 

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