What can our teams learn from Kendrick and Drake?

By Maureen Link and Kendra Siebert

Rivalry was front and center during Sunday’s Big Game. But for us (and so many others), Eagles vs Chiefs took a back seat to the main attraction: Kendrick vs Drake.

Drake and Kendrick Lamar's recent lyrical battle has the internet ablaze, but beyond the entertainment value lies a deeper truth: we often do our best work when faced with worthy opposition.

While most leaders focus on uniting their teams around a shared vision (and you should totally still have a vision), it’s not always enough. Creating a common enemy may just be the unlock to your team's success.

🚀 It Creates Urgency

When a team knows they’re up against something real, they move with urgency, rather than idling complacently. Think about companies facing a disruptive new competitor—suddenly, innovation speeds up, meetings become more focused, and execution sharpens. Without that pressure, teams risk complacency.

🤯 It Illuminates Blindspots

We don’t know what we don’t know. Other people, and organizations, can hold a mirror to ourselves and help us realize what we’ve been missing in our approach or offering.

💡 It Fuels Innovation

Some of the greatest breakthroughs happen when teams are cornered and forced to fight back. Apple had Microsoft. Nike had Adidas. Netflix had Blockbuster. A worthy adversary makes you think bigger, act bolder, and move faster.

🤝 It Strengthens Team Bonds

Nothing unites people like a shared fight. In sports, military units, or business, teams that define a common adversary develop stronger trust and a sense of “us vs. them.” The friction disappears because the real battle is outside, not within.

💎 It Builds Resilience

Without resistance, muscles don’t grow. The same applies to teams. Facing obstacles together—whether it’s a tough market, an aggressive competitor, or internal inefficiencies—builds grit. When teams push back against an enemy, they develop the mindset that they can handle anything.

How to Identify the Right Tension for Your Teams

A worthy common enemy is one that encourages productive, rather than destructive, competition—one that drives you to continually raise the bar.

Red Flag Alert! If you or your team feels that another leader or team within the organization is the enemy, you’re doing it wrong (and there are more likely other problems at play)

Here are some thought starters for valiant rivals.

✔️ A Market Challenge – Are you battling industry disruption or inefficiencies? ✔️ A Competitor – Is there a rival setting the bar higher? Time to step up. ✔️ A Problem – Is something holding your team back? A bad system? A toxic norm? Name it and fight it.

The Bottom Line

Teams don’t just need a vision; they need a fight worth fighting. When you give your team a worthy enemy—something compelling to conquer—you turn passive employees into warriors, disconnected groups into tight-knit units, and stagnant organizations into unstoppable forces.

So, what’s your team’s common enemy? Let’s name it, face it, and win.

#Leadership #Teamwork #Growth #BusinessStrategy #Winning