Raising the Bar to Beat Global Competition Is Everyone's Job

Andy Grove has pointed to an increasingly difficult reality that Americans are facing: "The consequence of a global economy is really very simple. If the world operates as one big market, every employee will compete with every person anywhere in the world who is capable of doing the same job. There are a lot of people out there, and many of them are very hungry."

While the American economy continues to perform well and people are succeeding, some Americans are concerned that income gain has leveled off. For many in the middle income ranges, their standard of living has actually been decreasing. It would be a super world if there were no winners and losers, but there hasn't been any time in human history where that was true. Some in America are winning big; some are not. People in other countries have seen what we have, and they're going after it. While they are earning it, many in America are whining about what they have lost maintaining the status quo.

At a recent leadership training program conducted in Nice, France, I had leaders from India, Israel, France, Japan, and even Dallas. OK, Dallas is big enough to be a country. They were the best and the brightest the company had to offer, and Americans were in the minority. To share another example, I recently contracted cover design work through elance.com; a vendor in India won the contract on quality and price for my upcoming book. Finding the best and the brightest is now just a click away.

The entitlement world is under attack in all of the developed countries. Making life easier or blocking out competition is not the answer. Our students, workers and leaders need a hard dose of reality--life is difficult but excellence will still be rewarded. Raise the bar on your children and your team. They aren't competing against people on their block or in their city. They're competing with the world, and the world is getting better! What are you doing to raise the bar for you and your organization?

Comments

[thebizofknowledge]

THE Message to get out - it's a global economy and you're correct, the best and brightest are a click away. How I endeavor to impart this to my students and my education in general. Make them think!!