Pick Those Battles That Will Define You

The All-Hands Meet in the cafeteria of Our Corp Inc. (OurCorp) was getting noisy, with a lot of cheering, slogans of congratulations, and resounding roars. The occasion was the winning of a strategic account from a competitor Twin Brother Company (TwinCo). The CEO was describing every step of the crucial win, and the Account Team members were called on stage to be felicitated.

TwinCo opened shop in the same year as OurCorp, and the two have been rivals ever since. There are questions all the time all over the industry about TwinCo’s market practices, shoddy products and internal corporate governance. TwinCo is run by hand-picked members of the founding family, and everything that happens in that company is opaque to the rest of the world. 

Over the decades, OurCorp has pulled way ahead of TwinCo in market share, customer satisfaction, quality of employees and through innovative products. In the last few decades, the industry has sat up and taken note of the astounding strides that OurCorp has made in the marketplaces they operate in. Frankly, OurCorp has long since stopped considering TwinCo as their prime competitor, heeding the words of Napoleon Bonaparte:

“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.”

But, with employees and the field force of OurCorp developing frayed nerves in dealing with TwinCo and all their market mischief through insinuations, this ‘surgical strike’ was conceived and carried out successfully. Hence this celebration.

The real gold standard in the industry has been set by a third company called Global Superpower Ltd. (Global), who have now become the toast of the world. While not everyone agrees on the way that company is run, they have delivered incredible products at lightning speeds. Everyone who has used Global’s products or had even a brush with that company in any way have come back very impressed. Like all successful companies, Global attracts a fair share of controversies, and they handle these ‘pin-pricks’ really well. 

There is no part of the world where Global is not present. They have quickly become a global name to reckon with, and have begun to use this acquired clout quite unashamedly. When Global talks, the world listens. When Global acts, the world adjusts itself to accommodate all its actions. Global is known to be keeping a sharp, wary eye on OurCorp. Internally, the executives at Global know that the only company with the talent and capability to derail their plans for industry hegemony is OurCorp. With galloping revenues and market share, OurCorp is also proud to be spoken up as the next Global. 

Friedrich Nietzsche sees it clearly: “Whoever lives for the sake of combating an enemy has an interest in the enemy's staying alive.”

To a rational market-watcher, rather than the celebratory mood, the following items should have been part of the CEO’s talk at the All Hands’ Meet:

1.   Remind them of Winston Churchill’s words: “When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.” OurCorp has lot of issues to settle internally, and these when resolved, will make the company stronger.

                    i.       For example, two departments are fighting spectacularly over a water cooler in the common corridor.

                  ii.       There are allegations of people gaining benefits in the company on extraneous factors rather than merit.

                iii.       TwinCo wants to disturb and rankle us. When we fight them, the world sees us as no more than adolescent boys indulging in a knee- scraping joust.

2.   We will get back to our plans to match and surpass the prosperity that Global has achieved for itself.

                    i.       Global may feel happy if we get distracted by skirmishes with TwinCo.

                  ii.       The world sees OurCorp and Global as the companies that will be the future of the industry. We promise to live up to that potential.

3.   OurCorp has a choice of enemies.

Michael Ventura summarizes it well: “Be careful how you choose your enemy, for you will come to resemble him.”

The celebratory noise at the All Hands’ meeting at OurCorp is, therefore, very worrying.