He always makes the deal.
She finds conveted inside information.
He lands top meetings and befriends the opposition.
Her comments catalyze progress that proceeds company-wide change.
These folks are not your competition. Their work, their composure, their grace under fire, their successes are not your threats.
In fact, these people are your greatest allies.
People better than you offer a tremendous opportunity. They are resources to help you up your game:

• Their excellence can challenge you to learn the tools and techniques you need.
• Their greatness can inspire you to ask difficult questions.
• Their wins spur self-assessment.
• Their honesty can remind you that little steps and a slow start is what is needed until answers become clear.
• Their bravery and fearlessness can spark your own leap into the unknown.

Extraordinary individuals provide an outside window into your own work. If bridged properly, these relationships will lead you to goals you have yet to dream of.
Forget comparisons. Use the gifts of others as a personal springboard, and align yourself with those you admire as you continue to polish your own story.
Delight in the company of those who push you.