Josey Wales: Howdy
Lone Watie: [realizes Josey has snuck up behind and pulled a gun on him] Howdy
Josey Wales: Name’s Josey Wales.
Lone Watie: I’ve heard of that name. They said you’d be through here…and they said a man could get rich on reward money if he could kill you.
Josey Wales: Seems like you was looking to gain some money here.
Lone Watie: Actually, I was looking to gain an edge. I thought you might be someone who would sneak up behind me with a gun.
This is a quote from The Outlaw Josey Wales, my third favorite movie of all time (The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly and Dirty Harry are my first and second. Do you notice a theme?) It’s a simple idea, getting an edge, but it’s profound.
All of us, whether we believe it or not, are always competing. It might be against fellow racers in a 5K. It could be against other job seekers for an open position. It may be against other consultants for a piece of work. It might be for a desirable promotion. Competition is a healthy thing, provided you operate from the principle of abundance, not scarcity and that you agree to compete fairly and ethically.
If you’re going to compete, you may as well win right? To win, you have to identify your edge and use it. An edge is an advantage, even a small one, that gives you the upper hand against other competitors. I’ve used my edge in business to run a pretty successful consulting business.
- I’m a small competitor so I can beat larger competitors on price, service delivery, and close working rapport with clients.
- I’m a hard-working small competitor so I can beat other small competitors in producing valuable content on social media and blasting it out six times a day. I’ve written at least one blog post per week since 2008. Can you keep up?
- I have a ton of free air miles as a Southwest Rapid Reward frequent flyer, free rental car days at National, and lots of free nights at any Hilton property, all as a result of heavy travel. I can afford to travel to visit my clients just for the heck of it and do free Lunch and Learns to gain new clients.
Those edges are deliberate and they’ve worked pretty well. Healthy competition + my edge = success!
That’s me though. What about you? If you’re in the process of competing, what would be your edge? Here are some suggestions:
- Flexibility – willingness to change.
- Likeability – willingness to build rapport with others.
- Assertiveness – willingness to ask for what you want rather than wait for it.
- Intellect – Knowledge that comes through personal reading and classes.
- Skills – built through training or coaching by others.
- Mastery – Expertise in a chosen field.
- Connection – A powerful network that you’ve cultivated through hard work.
I’m sure there are many more but it’s important for YOU to determine what your edge is and put it to work.
This week, quit being a victim and get back in the game. Find your edge and leverage it. Compete for what you want and the feeling of victory will be your reward.