It's more natural to say : "Stand out from the crowd" which means that you have qualities that shine above everyone else's.

a lot in this case means a group. Stands out means is noticeable because of contrasting qualities stands out from the lot = different from the rest of the group to a noticeable extent

I've really never heard of "Stand out from the lot," but to "Stand out from the crowd" means to shine above all others. I assume this likely means the same thing. A "lot" can be defined as a set of objects. So, "That red model stood out from all others on the lot (of cars at a dealership)," would apply. "The current world tennis champion stood out from the crowd at an early age." I believe this applies to your question.

In Chinese we say :Crane stand around the chicken (I translated literally),I think they have the same meaning...