Forget About Being the Best
You’ll never be the best.
“Strategy is not about being the best, but about being unique.” Jerome De Flander, author of, The Execution Shortcut.
Unique value is the best.
Finding unique:
- Look for the one word that best describes your unique value.
- Ask new customers for the best word that describes their experience with your organization.
- Reject useless words like excellent. Find a unique word that describes your uniqueness.
- Explore provocative words that describe what you are and defines what you hope to be.
- Courageously choose a compelling word. The Zappos word is happiness.
In the process of searching for your word, tell everyone that one word will guide your business. You’ll be asking everyone, “What are we doing to produce ______?” (Insert your word.)
- Evaluations will center on, “How are you creating _____.”
- Planning meetings will be about producing _____.”
- Training will enable employees to generate _____.”
Executing your word:
If your word is happiness, ask every team, manager, leader, and employee, “What can we do that produces happiness.”
Maybe you’re word is inspiring. What is inspiration? How can you create inspiring experiences?
Surprise:
Unique value centers on environment and experience. Senge put it this way, “Your primary influence is the environment you create.”
Unique value is experience.
Tip: Deliver your unique value to customers and employees.
Assumption: This post assumes commitment to produce and deliver quality product.
Personal application:
You’ll never be the best. There’s always someone with more skill, talent, wisdom, or success.
The best is a matter of comparison and that’s the problem. Compared to what or who? What constitutes the best?
Striving to be the best creates winners and losers. “I’m better than you because I’m the best.” It’s oppressive.
Forget about the best.
Do your best to bring unique.
Facebook fans fill in: “The trouble with being the best is …”
What are the pros and cons of trying to be the best?
How can leaders and organizations find success through being unique?
This is a great blog. It’s very thought-provoking to identify what makes me unique. It’s also very important!
Thanks Henry,
Glad you found this post useful. I find the pursuit of unique frees and the pursuit of the best oppresses.
Great insights. This approach also promotes a spirit of healthy collaboration. There’s great power in combining powerful “words” and approaches. If you’re not trying to be “the best” your more open to the people who can help make you great.
Thanks Karin,
Wonderful addition. We say we believe in collaboration but then expect everyone to compete with each other.
Well just not sure, Jerome! With this trategy of yours Jerome what have you accomplished? Writing a book?
Is this what Muhammad Ali thought? Michael Jordan? The Dude when he was abiding?
Fact is, I do not have to acknowledge I am unique, neither do you! WE ARE!!!!!!! Read in the God Memorandum to, “Proclaim my Rarity”. One of 4 pretty cool suggestions I must say! Went on to let me know God only made ONE of me, diamonds are rare, but I am in the history of all that is, the only one of ME. Horray ME!!!!!!
Could be an ego trip for a dufus! Reason it isn’t is cause everybody ever born is one of a kind, even you! That ends up making us an eachness in the allness of God! Pretty COOL!
Guess working every day, moment by moment working to get better is cool. The AA Big Book tells me to seek progress, not perfection.
Just not sure Jerome. Not saying I disagree, just stimulated the grey matter is all.
Just not sure how well it is gonna work out if I start out giving myself a convenient out when the going gets rough! Well I tried a little and now I would rather eat bon-bons than keep swinging the hammer!
So I will ponder this today thanks to you Dan as I trudge down the road to happy destiny!
Thanks for the grey matter stimulation Dan!
The Dude Abides!
I Concur!
Shifterp back to NOW!
Thanks Scott,
But if we are unique and don’t know it, acknowledge it, and leverage it, what does it matter?
When you KNOW, then it doesn’t matter Dan, that’s the point.
SP back to my present!! Me in the moment!!!!
this post is for those who don’t know
Ha! “Forget about being the best” says the guy with the best independent Leadership blog.
Happy Halloween anyways you wisened old buffoon!
Hi James,
Hahahaha… whatever the best is!! 🙂
Dan-
Thank you for sharing your unique gift of distilling truth and wisdom down to its essential components. I continue to feel enriched by your posts!
I love this one. Equally important for educators to help students (children) identify and cultivate their unique talents, aptitudes and passions- This all too often, sadly gets missed in compliance driven- grading-focused education, along a narrow path to an illusory, relative “best”…
Lovely start to a beautiful fall day! the
Thanks Lori,
The expression “compliance driven” really packs a punch. Thanks for joining this conversation.
I really appreciate the blog this morning.
I’m an experienced leader in a new role, and find that because I am new, many are seeking to categorize me: “you are better than your predecessor at…” or “your predecessor was great at…” and “you are so ___.” Because I’m in a place that is dramatically different than any environment where I’ve worked, it has been unsettling to feel pulled apart, analyzed, and labeled. Perhaps it is because I haven’t found my “unique value?”
Thank you, Dan. I do appreciate getting my bit of morning inspiration from you each day.
Thanks Kim,
What a wonderful comment. I respect your transparency.
It feels so freeing to pursue our unique value rather than being judged by others.
Of course delivering results is always a given…but we can deliver results in ways that align with our unique value.
I needed that this morning. Thanks, Dan.
A pleasure to serve!
Dan – I will be thinking of that one word to describe my uniqueness.
Thanks
Thanks Chris,
It’s an interesting exploration. I’m surprised how others are helpful on that journey. I’m trying to nail mine down too…
Passion is the word that popped up and called Up feelings of love, joy, and Mmmmm…
Thank you. From this day forth passion is my mantra
Thanks Rebecca,
How can you express passion?
How can you demonstrate passion?
How can you ignite passion in others?
Just thinking outloud
Ooh a challenge! I shall think upon it!
A single word has such power, great discourse today, thanks for bringing this in Dan!
Soooo, would I still be unique if I found two words to describe my unique value!? 😉
While the word excellent may be useless, excellence paired with a verb might not.
It seems as if that uniqueness is the visible tip of the iceberg and the other unseen 9/10ths creates that exceptionally excellent experience. From my catbird seat, would suggest that underneath that uniqueness are a plethora traits/skills/energies at work which lead to a high degree of consistency. Consistency that establishes and maintains that unique appeal, with the person walking away still wondering what hit them and wanting more at the same time.
And I ditto jamesmckey! Thanks for bringing your uniqueness to the interwebs!
Thanks Doc,
Your comment points out why choosing a word (Or even two) is difficult. That one word consists of so many others. Perhaps that’s why one word filled with so many ideas is so powerful.
From a leadership/organizational perspective, simplicity and clarity are essential. If we can find that one word think of the power to align everyone and accomplish something remarkable.
Your comment got me thinking all over again.
I have found that I get caught up in details of making something “perfect” (or the best) and not getting things done. I end up spinning wheels and not getting anything in motion. Sometimes its best just to get started and update and improve from there. Thanks for your blog-it is motivating.
Thanks Tara,
I think you’re right. We can “perfect” as we go rather than before we go.
Love this post!!!
Thanks Ted.
Dear dan
You have rightly mentioned that instead of trying to be first, we should try to be uniqe at our work place, because the moment we try to race for number one or two, it invites a cut throat competition and leads to unhealthy competitive environment at work place and this leads no where, because every one wants to cut other in size, we should try to be our own and should join the race.
A good post
“Me too only better” is not a strategy. Couldn’t agree more.
Dan, This post made me think of the Olympics.
Why would thousands of athletes turn up knowing that there’s only 1 gold medal (in each event)?
Maybe their unique value is in them doing their absolute personal best.
What saddens me about the Olympics (other than the rank commercialization of a noble idea) is how the media portrays it as a simple “who has the most medals” contest … aka who is the best?
Thanks Mwayland,
YOu’ve captured an important and useful part of this discussion. Being unique often leads to being the best, as in being #1. It may not be #1 in the world but it could be #1 in your niche. Fascinating.
Very good stuff!
Its really good Strategy.
Love This Post.