Organizations focused on competitors become entrenched

Organizations that lose sight of their overarching purpose (their “why”) and focus instead on competition with others at the level of “what” their product is, tend to become entrenched in their ways.

But great companies give their people a purpose or challenge around which to develop ideas rather than simply instruct them to make a better mousetrap. Companies that study their competitors in hopes of adding the features and benefits that will make their products “better” are only working to entrench the company in WHAT it does. Companies with a clear sense of WHY tend to ignore their competition, whereas those with a fuzzy sense of WHY are obsessed with what others are doing.^[1]

#strategic #leadership

See also:

• People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it
• Strategy narrows the competitive field