Ask HN: Leetcode warriors, how is your programming better?

I've started leetcoding to sharpen my interviewing skills. For those who've been through the grind, regardless of where they've ended up, how has this improved/affected their day to day software development work?

While I really enjoy reading up the cleverness involved in something like KMP-string search from a good textbook like CLRS, it is also deflating looking at the pure "lateral thinking" that goes into these things! Tips, suggestions, thoughts welcome.