Since cavemen walked the earth, competition has been a motivating factor, driving a select group of men and women towards success at the expense of others. To argue that we should teach our future leaders to value cooperation above competition is to disregard what history has taught us about the survival of the fittest. The best way that society can prepare young leaders for success is to instill in them a competitive spirit, as supported by two key examples.
To begin, the history of political campaigns provide important insight into the value of the competitive spirit. Some of the most successful campaigns in history have capitalized on competition. Take, for example, the 2016 presidential election. While Democratic candidate Hilary Clinton focused her campaign more on political issues and uniting the Democratic party, Republican challenger Donald Trump centered his campaign around defeating his opponent by any means necessary. While many argued that such a fiercely, almost animalistically competitive campaign was likely to be ill-received by the American populace, Trump ultimately landed the presidential title. A competitive spirit is what secured Donald Trump the highest position in leadership available in our society. To suggest that cooperation would better prepare our youth for leadership is to ignore what this recent example has demonstrated, which is that our society rewards competition over cooperation.
Further, evolutionary research suggests that it is a fact of human nature that competition is more inherently valuable than cooperation. In his landmark work, the evolutionary theorist Charles Darwin coined the phrase "survival of the fittest" in explanation of the phenomenon wherein those who had the competitive qualities necessary for survival would live to reproduce and pass on their genes, while those who did not would perish, forgotten by society. Since the time of cavemen, competition has been an essential part of who we are and what drives us. These evolutionary instincts still propel us today in our every endevour. The idea of cooperation as a means for success is ignorant to our evolutionary history, which values competition.
Certainly, some may argue that a value for cooperation can be seen in successful leaders in government, industry, and other fields. Take, for example, the "open door policy" implemented by many titans of industry. Ultimately, however, one does not become a titan of industry without a fierce competitive spirit and a determination to succeed no matter what the cost. An open door policy may evoke a cooperative spirit but it is a performative gesture at best. To promote cooperation over competition is to fail our youth and block them from the paths they will need to take in order to truly succeed in our society.