Perspective gives you clarity.
In the fable of the Lion and the Gazelle, it’s easy to sympathize with the Gazelle and the fear that lives in her heart every morning. On any given day, she will be chased by the lion and if she doesn’t outrun the lion, she will be caught, she will be imprisoned by his powerful jaws, and she will die to be the his dinner. It’s brutal, but it’s a reality in the circle of life.
It feels natural to warm to the plight of the Gazelle, the underpowered victim running frantically from the powerful beast. But life is not simple and stress free for the lion either. If he doesn’t catch the Gazelle he will not eat today, hunger will make him weak, hunting will be more difficult with limited energy and ultimately he will starve to death.
Everyone is running – the hunter and the hunted; and in any given moment we should assume we are both. We should know that our competitors are moving just as quickly as we are, they are planning our demise just as we are planning theirs, and they are at least as smart as we are. They are busily identifying our weaknesses as much as we are preying on theirs and they are searching for and evaluating opportunities to capitalize on just as we are.
Underestimating the Gazelle is foolish, as is overestimating the Lion. Every competitor has strengths and weaknesses, every brand can be beaten if the right attack is launched – the key is always awareness, preparation and keen survival skills.
Perspective gives you clarity.