I often think of an African proverb shared by Kip Reader, Managing Partner of Ulmer & Berne:
Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you better start running.
I leave it to you to decide whether you are a lion or gazelle, because regardless of in which industry you work, the proverb has great meaning. Whether you are hunting for new clients, new tenants, new retail space, new buyers, new investment opportunities, new employees, new engagements, new whatever – you name it, you are competing with others looking for the same new opportunity. So, the trick is to be the fastest lion or gazelle every day – stay ahead of your competitors. Particularly good advice as we all navigate through the current economic challenges.