Fighting to not lose

On April 30th, I watched Mixed Martial Arts star, Georges St. Pierre – known by his fans as GSP – defeat Jake Shields. This was the 6th successful defense of his title and by the middle of the fight, it became apparent that GSP was doing what a lot of companies do; fight to not lose. Georges is excellent at figuring out what his opponent’s strength is and then defending against it. That’s the issue. He’s not going out there to win. He’s neutralizing ways he can lose. This may sound like the same thing but I can assure you that winning and not losing are not the same. Winning has an emotional base. Not losing, is academic.

I’m not going to mention specific businesses that I feel have done this because, I have or haven’t worked for them and either way; I’m not in a position to comment.

What I would say is that it is 1) important to be aware of what your competitors are doing and I feel 2) it’s essential to focus on your strengths while 3) looking to develop Blue Ocean Strategies, and when you get up in the morning for work, you need to be playing (or fighting) to win. The economy needs it. Your customers need it. Your employees need. You need it. Epic battles increase investment and in the long run they’re arguably beneficial for everyone.