Disruptors in Sports: Angelique Kerber and Cam Newton
Disruptors get a lot of attention. Disruptors can be individuals, companies, or even economies. I’m passionate about driving innovation at our company to disrupt the status quo, whether it’s in our existing markets or industries that are completely new to us.
But by its very nature, disruption is not a force within our control. Just as we look for ways to disrupt and innovate, we must also handle the challenges of disruption when they are visited upon us by our competition.
Take sports, for example. Angelique Kerber recently stunned Serena Williams and the world to win the Australian Open women’s tennis title. Williams has won 21 Grand Slam titles in her career, including her last eight Grand Slam finals matches. In this match, Kerber was a disruptor. She played her strength, defense, against the strength of her opponent, offense. She countered Williams at every step of the match and walked away with the victory, the first Grand Slam victory for a German tennis player since 1999.
We will see another sports disruptor in Super Bowl 50 in Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. Newton didn’t lead the league in passing, but he did in running the ball. Many have come before him with the ability to run and pass the ball but, at 196 centimeters and 112 kilograms, Newton’s size in this position makes him a unique disruptor. Defense players do not know how to stop him. We’ll find out if he can be stopped this Sunday.
I don’t want you to think disruptors will always win. In fact, it’s rarely the case. Disruptors, and disruption, are something that must be managed. Cam Newton’s opponent, Peyton Manning, who is 13 years his senior, has managed and fought off disruption during the latter part of his career. He’s managed those who have tried to defeat his team, as well as those who have tried to replace him.
This lesson doesn’t only apply to sports, it applies to the business world too. To remain viable in your own industry, you must also manage disruption. Here’s how:
- Focus on your strengths. While innovation is a powerful thing, a business must work to become a meaningful player in its core pursuits. Double down on your strengths to stay ahead of disruptors.
- Build market share. Newcomers will always enter your marketplace. The best way to battle that is to grow market share and ensure you are growing fast enough to outpace challengers.
- Strengthen existing services. Newcomers will seek to woo your customers and to battle that, you must constantly look for ways to improve your services. Look around the corner to know what your customers will want tomorrow and deliver that service today.
More disruption is coming this year. The competitive landscape is intensifying in all industries. We will see it in new technologies managed via our smartphones. We will see it in virtual reality. We will see more disruption in the Sharing Economy. So we must be prepared, not surprised, when the challenge arrives.
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Chief Human Resources Officer - HyFun Foods
8 年I agree - the established player/business has to think and act like a disruptor - to stay ahead of the competition. One has to retain one's edge - whatever it is.
consultant OpenVMS /RDB
8 年In ice dance, in 2014, for their first year in the seniors, Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizéron were 15th at the Europeans championships. Two months later, due to a late cancellation, the french federation sent them to the World championships, they were 13th. In 2015, they won the European and the Worlds!
Trainer, Speaker, and Writer (not an industry leader, not particularly powerful, and not a bestselling author)
8 年Mr. Mikitani picked two interesting sports at a time when there is the possibility of significant disruption. But I think he picked the wrong disrupters. In tennis, the biggest disruptor right now is match-fixing and the investigation (or lack of). In the NFL, similarly, the biggest disruptor may be a movie called "Concussion", and what will happen to the game. It's nice to pick a topic like disruption, but if we too narrow-mindedly focus on just a small part of the sport, we don't really see disruption, but just an evolution. There will be more Kerbers and Newtons. But the true game changers are ones that exert external pressures for the fundamental game to change.
Experienced program manager/operations management & supply chain professional in healthcare.
8 年Cam is, in all likelihood, the MVP this year and will redefine the QB position. As for Kerber, let's see how the rest of the year plays out. Wouldn't call her a disrupter just yet. Ezra ??