Are the Toronto Jays afraid of the Yankees?

Well

There are of course two sides to every coin. After reading the story from the New York Times yesterday I went to the Star, The Toronto Star. I read the article of the opening day Toronto loss from the other perspective. As I started reading I was expecting the Yankees to be vilified, for the umpires to be criticized or even for some vague rationalization. What I found was balanced objective reporting with an opening section that was respectful of the Yankee tradition and good commentary on the end of the era. Check the link here.

So what does this have to do with leadership?

Easy. When in a competitive situation, there is little value in trashing the competition. False bravado only distracts from reality and could confuse those you lead. It is far better to be realistic. Compliment the strengths of the opposing organization and consider rationally how to out maneuver their organizational advantages. Hmmm this is beginning to sound like the start of a strategy session…

In a leadership role it is crucial to know what your organizations core competencies are. Discover them through dialogue with employees, customers suppliers and competitors. You will be amazed at how your organization is perceived when you ask the question. I heard another great way of looking at the strategy concept recently. What is your central organizing principle? If you can answer these two questions you will have a clear sense of purpose (latter) and an understanding of competitive advantage (former). These can be used to clarify the direction of the organization.

Want to learn more?

Ronn.hurst@gmail.com

Lead well

Ron