Getting to the finish line before everyone else feels good. You know that feeling. People are cheering. Your parents are smiling. The world is right at that moment in time. Every person needs to feel this at times in his or her life. It creates confidence and inspires hope for a better tomorrow. It is also addictive and can be counterproductive.
We are trained from an early age to finish first. The specifics might change but the goal was the same:
- Finish first in the sports league
- Finish first in your graduating class
- Finish first in the race
- And so on.
It gets so embedded in our thought patterns that we always want to be first:
- First to visit the hot new club
- First to know the latest gossip
- First to get the newest gadget
- First to adapt to the latest technology
There is a reason that the cutting edge is also known as the bleeding edge. Being first isn't always best. It's fun, cool, and gives you bragging rights of sorts but it rarely moves you or your business to a sustainable position. When you are first, there are always people studying your activity and learning from your mistakes. Their new knowledge is the edge they need to move them and their company past yours.
Steve Jobs was a master at this. If you go through his history, you'll find that he wasn't first at creating, he was best at adapting.
- He didn't invent the computer. He made it accessible to the masses.
- He didn't create mp3 players. He made them cool.
- Cell phones had a long history before he made one that was a bundle of music and apps.
Henry Ford was a master at adaptation too. He didn't invent the car. He made it affordable using mass production. (He didn't invent THAT either.)
History is filled with examples of people who learn from others, think about how it can be applied differently, and change the world. Stop a minute and think before you jump to the next social media platform, get the latest marketing gadget, or race to the finish line.
Is this the best way to serve your customers, your business, and yourself? The answer may surprise you.