I have seen post after post over the last 6 months about how you need to make sure that you are the best on your team. I’m all for people being their personal best, but lets be honest: a company with a bunch of departments with one stand out employee is hosed! If you Rock the Casbah by yourself then you’re going to have a hard time keeping a job at your company. Instead, may I propose doing things very purposefully to help build your team (even if you’re not a manager) and also work to help spread awesomeness throughout the company.
If the weak companies die off and your company isn’t weak you’ve got something, but if you’re a rock star on a sinking ship you’re not any better off just because you’re a rock star. Read the articles about being your best, learn those things, then pass them along. Make your department the best darned department in a company of amazing departments. If you’re in a startup with very few employees then your excuses dwindle because you should all be busting your backside.
Stand and deliver. If it takes little to be above average then do it… just not alone.
