Can Competition Ruin the Culture: with Jessica Novich
Ever worked somewhere that felt like a leaderboard instead of a team? If you’ve ever felt tension around competitiveness at work—or wondered how some teams manage to make it energizing instead of exhausting—this episode is for you.
In today’s conversation, Sarah and Bill welcome Jessica Novich, COO of Full Tilt Logistics, a fast-growing family-run company where three of the five leadership team members have high Competition in their CliftonStrengths—and she doesn’t. Jessica brings a refreshing take on how family, fun, and feedback can turn competition into connection, and how strengths-based coaching helped transform potential tension into team trust. Whether you work with family, lead a competitive team, or just want to build a healthier culture, you’ll walk away with insights, laughter, and ideas to apply right away.
🔥 7 Main Takeaways:
- Competition isn’t inherently toxic—but it must be coached and contextualized to help a culture thrive.
- Jessica’s harmony and positivity balance out high competition in her leadership team, showing how complementary strengths matter.
- Working with family adds complexity—but can also deepen trust and communication if the roles and vision are clear.
- Fun rituals like cornhole tournaments and “Monarch of Brokerage” awards turn competitiveness into camaraderie.
- Coaching and strengths awareness help surface misalignment before it turns into resentment or silos.
- Every strength can be a firework or a dumpster fire—self-awareness is the difference.
- Culture trickles down from the top; how leaders use their strengths directly influences how people show up at work.
💥 Sound Bites:
- “Competition doesn’t ruin cultures—unmanaged competition does.”
- “You can walk out of a job, but you can’t walk out of family.”
- “My first reaction to your org chart was fear… and also fascination.”
- “We work hard, play hard, and sometimes fight hard—but always come back to trust.”
- “I’m not strategic, and that’s okay—because someone else on the team is.”
- “If you can leverage competition to build community, not a leaderboard, you’re doing it right.”
- “We’ve created a workplace where it’s okay to be blunt—and that honesty keeps resentment low.”
- “I show up to meetings like, ‘Good morning!’ even when the tension’s high—and that changes the tone.”
- “My positivity and harmony are like bubble wrap around the sharp edges of competition.”
- “I oversee HR and I have Harmony… which means write-ups are my personal nightmare.”
- “We crowned someone ‘Most Likely to Clap When the Plane Lands’—because culture should have a sense of humor.”
- “Our culture works because we put people in the right seats and actually understand what they need.”
- “Sometimes, the competition shows up as subtle ranking… and sometimes it’s a full-on cornhole trophy.”
- “My husband has Harmony and Competition in his top five—and honestly, that’s a mystery I’m still trying to solve.”
- “Strengths don’t ruin culture—misalignment and miscommunication do.”
Bill's Top 10 CliftonStrengths
1) Individualization
2) Developer
3) Activator
4) Woo
5) Restorative
6) Empathy
7) Harmony
8) Connectedness
9) Relator
10) Learner
Sarah's Top 10 CliftonStrengths
1) Positivity
2) Woo
3) Communication
4) Harmony
5) Activator
6) Developer
7) Input
8) Individualization
9) Responsibility
10) Arranger
Official Strengths On Fire Website: https://strengthsonfire.transistor.fm
GET MORE FROM BILL AND SARAH:
Bill's info:
https://billdippel.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamdippel/
https://www.instagram.com/billdippelcoach/
Sarah's info:
https://www.wearecollinsco.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahcoachcollins/
https://www.instagram.com/sarahcoachcollins/
Bill's info:
https://billdippel.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamdippel/
https://www.instagram.com/billdippelcoach/
Sarah's info:
https://www.wearecollinsco.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahcoachcollins/
https://www.instagram.com/sarahcoachcollins/
Creators and Guests
Host
Bill Dippel
Bill Dippel is a certified, professional Strengths coach with a 35-year career in nonprofits and higher education. His passion is working with organizations, teams, and individuals to ensure they are performing and communicating at the highest levels. As president of Bill Dippel Strengths Coaching, he travels frequently for large events and public speaking, as well as working with whole companies through their management teams.
Host
Sarah Collins
Sarah Collins is a certified CliftonStrengths coach and founder of Collins Collective, with over 12 years of experience in strengths-based coaching and leadership development. Her passion lies in empowering businesses, teams, and individuals to communicate and perform at their best by focusing on what they do well. As the leader of Collins Collective, Sarah combines engaging workshops, high-impact keynotes, and in-depth coaching to foster growth and connection. Based in Nebraska, she partners with businesses to drive meaningful change and create high-performing teams.
