Mailander Podcast
Dive deep into the minds of today's most influential leaders. From tech titans to political insiders, I uncover the secrets behind their success. What makes them tick? How do they make decisions? What drives them? Join me as we explore the strategies, mindsets, and frameworks that shape our world.
Mailander Podcast
Compete Higher: Three Core Tenets for Leveling Up
Leverage these three core tenets for enabling your company to level up against the next higher level of competition.
Drawn from the experience of working with a mid-market leader that was successful, had more ceiling with their current business, but for the young CEO, could reach so much higher, this episode reveals three core tenets to competing at a higher level.
When leveling up to enable your company to play against the big boys, the nature of the competition and how they protect their positions can be awe-striking for the emerging company.
Three core tenets for for discovering how to level up and compete higher include:
- Identify the Trophy Sought. You might be in a competition with a player or players whose end goal is quite different than your own. You might be hunting for increased sales, market share, or enterprise value appreciation. They might seek enhancements to their free cash flow or net-after-tax yield. The different trophies being sought means they play the game in very different ways, and the decisions they will make for getting there will be quite different.
- Domain Expertise. Dominant competitors leverage better financing capabilities. They have well-seasoned executive and middle management teams. They leverage the best lawyers, accountants, tax advisors, and management consultants, all of which are privy to the subtle ways of creating more value and impenetrable positions for their clients.
- Find an Edge. Rarely can a smaller competitor take on a larger competitor in a head-on assault, meaning it is hard to beat an established player at their own game. It is imperative for the smaller player or challenger to find their unique edge – some strategy that creates asymmetric advantage, even if for but a moment – whereby it can exploit a vulnerability of the competitor. Very often, that edge will root down into the decision-making acumen of the players. It can be one of the most profound and cost-effective means for leveling up.