The document discusses the importance of adaptability for businesses and leaders to maintain competitive advantage. It states that many companies fail when they reach their peak because they become complacent and unable to adapt to changing markets. The author argues that the most important skill for leaders and businesses is being adaptable. Leaders must continuously work on adapting their approach, thinking, and business models to evolving customer needs. They also need to empower their teams to help drive innovation and change. Examples are given of companies like Blockbuster that failed to adapt their model and were disrupted by more adaptable competitors like Netflix. The document provides five tips for leaders to develop their own adaptability, such as listening to learn, allowing diverse voices, studying emerging trends, maintaining

1. Adapt or Die

2. The question that we all need to
ask is how does your product,
business or idea provide
competitive advantage? It is no
small question and the answer is
not a one fits all or one that once
answered you can tick the box and
put it away. You have to
continuously tinker and change to
maintain your competitive
advantage.

3. How many times have we seen
a corporation at the peak of
its powers suddenly and
inexplicably implode? What
was the driving force behind
this; poor management
decisions, an unhealthy dose
of complacency or the market
shifted and the company was
unable to navigate the
uncertain waters?

4. From my own experience, I would say that the
most important element that was missing was
that the company, and its leadership, lack what I
think is one of the most important skill set;
adaptability.
Add subheading
Adaptability is what will fuel an enterprise
and provide it with real and sustainable
competitive advantage. The fastest to
recognize and react thoughtfully will win
and big.

5. What most leaders do not realize is when the
business is actually at its apex, it is in its the
most vulnerable state. That is when you must
stretch the organization and seek out new
opportunities to grow or do business. Your
business model should be more fluid than ever but
this is the time when most leaders take their foot
of the pedal and coast. Decisions that would be
made to catch up to a competitor or scrap out
growth or delayed due to an almost unreal sense
of invincibility. It becomes hard for leaders to see
a different way of doing things and creating
value. Just take a moment and think about the
emerging businesses and where they came from.
Blockbuster had the market for a long period of
time but was unable to adapt it's model to the
changing environment , and the upstart NetFlix
came in and disrupted the market.

6. I propose that leaders work on ways to
enhance their adaptability. The challenge
for every business is to find ways to evolve
their brand and leaders and do it in such a
way as to evolve and expand their
relevance.

7. On a personal level, leaders also need to adapt how they tackle
problems, develop people, motivate teams and drive intrinsic value
for all. It is important to acknowledge that we also must be
adaptable in our own thought process. What worked for you last year
or last decade is not necessarily going to be the best approach now.
We have all seen a manager who as worked for thirty years but truly
done one year of learning and repeated the process thirty times.

8. So, if adaptability is an essential
ingredient to success how do we
develop on a personal level? Leaders
need to adapt to solve old problems
with new thinking and newer
problems with even more adaptive
thinking. Change your perspective
and you become open minded and
flexible to the possibilities. This helps
you develop people, motivate teams
to do the impossible and drive
intrinsic value for all. Below are 5
Adapt or Die must do's for you to
maximize your potential:

9. 1- Become a
great listener-
become a real
student again
and have an
insatiable thirst
for learning.

10. 2- You have to check your ego and
allow all to have a voice - just because
you are the leader does not mean you
have all the solutions. Empower your
team to help create the future.

11. 3- You have to be a keen
student of the market and
the emerging channels in
other industries that could
affect you. This leads to
innovation and creativity.
You not only harmonize the
enterprise, you also get
things done eliminating
gridlock.

12. 4- You have to take off the rose
petal glasses and see things for
how they are and not how you want
them to be - be a realist and hold
ourself in check and never be in
denial about the current state of
the business. It forces you to see
and react to the bigger picture and
to keep things in to perspective.

13. 5- You have to have the courage to
change even when you are on the top of
your game. You must seek out
continuous growth opportunities for
both you and your company.

14. As always, thanks for
"listening" and feel free to
reach out to me directly at
deshague.com