Watch any sporting event and you willed be stunned by the level of competition and the massive divergence in the reward system. A baseball game turns on a single pitch out of 250 pitches in a game. A college basketball championship hangs in the balance as the ball dances on the rim. A golf ball finds the cup as it traverses a green and a championed is crowned. The second place finisher though gallant and steadfast falls inches, seconds or hundredth of point short.
The divergence in the reward between first and everything else in sport is staggering. Yet in business we make the assumption that if what we do is almost as good as our competitor, we will succeed financially. If we make a great effort and we come up a little short, that is okay! No it is not. Winning demands every fiber of preparation, execution and follow through. Success in business requires skill, hustle, heart and yes by the way luck. The rewards for anything but first are pretty skimpy.
