Are we in it for the knife fight or just for the day trip?

History can sometimes be illuminating. And at other times it can bring forth provocative questions.

June 1940, Benito Mussolini decides that Germany is almost certain to conquer Europe and decides that the Italians had better get in on it so that they can take advantage of the spoils of war and reinforce their position in the Mediterranean and North Africa. War was thus declared on France and Great Britain,

The Italian Airforce, the Reggia Aeronautica, was ordered to create the new Corpo Aero Italiano (CAI), the expeditionary force that would join up with the Germans to finish off the Royal Air Force.

Come November that year, British radar picks up an air raid and squadrons of Hurricanes and Spitfires rose to meet the threat and that's when the RAF pilots noticed something odd. Rather than the large, imposing bombers of the Luftwaffe, flanked by deadly Messerschmitts, they found more elegant Gigogna bombers, protected by Fiat biplanes. The Italian planes had sleek lines and, whilst manoeuvrable, were clearly very slow and outgunned. What occurred was a massacre. At least 9 Italian bombers and 5 fighters biting the dust with no British casualties recorded. A Polish RAF pilot, upon running out of ammunition apparently used his propeller to destroy the top wing of one of the biplanes.

Upon returning to base, the British squadron leader drove over to the field below the battle to inspect kills. Rather than the Dornier's and Henkels, modern killing machines designed to inflict maximum damage in the most modern of ways, he was faced with aircraft seemingly designed for comfort. Large interiors with space to move around, comfortable seating, only a single bomb bay - there was even a supply of food and wine in the cabin.

He reportedly felt immediately guilty - this didn't seem like a fair battle. These were not hardened warriors who posed a significant threat to Queen and Country, these were a group out for a pleasure trip. Let's make a day trip of it, go drop a bomb or two and be home in time to get a medal or two shall we? This was not a contest against opponents who were part of the serious business of war.

Despite the new CAI name and livery, this was just the same Reggiano Italiano, an airforce not prepared nor equipped for modern combat. Their planes were too slow, lacked the instrumentation for night and poor weather sorties and their pilots did not have the experience of flying in the cold conditions faced.

How many businesses of today are like this...not part of the serious business of competing in today's evolving battlegrounds? Focusing more on giving their current business and operating models, their current capabilities, their current products a lick of Digital Paint - we'll create a digital team there and create a new App - rather than really transforming to be part of the modern fight for protecting market share and taking market share from others? Focusing on picking up a few small wins here and there that will look good at the next shareholders meeting but, heaven forbid, nothing that's going to make real waves or be too controversial. Nothing that's going to make anyone - customers, competition or their own people - uncomfortable. How many businesses are just there to be part of the current status quo, not causing a fuss or getting into proper fights?

Competition isn't going away. It's getting harsher, faster, more intense. If you want performance today, you're going to have to take it from someone else because there is more choice than ever for the customer. Adam Morgan (EatBigFish) summed it up as a "knife fight in a phone box". There's nowhere to hide, no place for enthusiastic amateurs looking to dip their toes in the water but not willing to commit.

Are you the predator, or are you the prey? Are you in it for the knife fight or out for a day trip? Organisations and Leaders had best be clear about the choice, else it will get made for them. Like the Italian Air Force in 1940...