Uncompete: Rejecting Competition to Unlock Success

Diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant Malhotra (Inclusion on Purpose) challenges the idea that competition is necessary for success in this enlightening, if overly broad, manifesto. The constant struggle to be number one at work or in life ends in isolation and anxiety, Malhotra argues, while cooperation for the greater good results in joy, peace, and community. Drawing on data, interviews with business leaders, and her own personal and professional experiences, Malhotra lays out a framework for unlearning competition and embracing an abundance mindset. She demonstrates how collaboration—collectively pooling resources and working together—benefits everyone, pointing to how the U.S. women’s soccer team came together in recent years to successfully demand pay equality with the men’s team. Elsewhere, she encourages reframing the tendency to compare oneself to others by recognizing that others are worthy and deserving of success; and pushes readers to embrace the idea that happiness is not proportional to how much they achieve in life, among other practices. Her perspective is novel and eye-opening, but at times she overreaches and loses focus, presenting her noncompetitive philosophy as a cure-all for the world’s problems. Still, this will help readers rethink the idea that life is a zero-sum game. (Nov.)