Your competition is fierce. Industry competitors are trying to steal your business, co-workers are attempting to out preform you, jobs applicants need more than a college degree and good opportunities are very scarce.

In a meeting yesterday I was reminded yesterday that Chick-fil-A’s Operator/Franchisee model is such a good opportunity, that it attracts a very strong, deep bench of talent applying to join the ranks. The competition just to have your name in the hat is very, very, very competitive to own a Chick-fil-A franchise.

Chick-fil-A is benefiting greatly from this. They now have the option of choosing from a pool of talent that greatly out-preforms the past applicants as a whole.

In all this competition it is easy to change or lower you personal goals by asking:

• What is the Average?
• What can I do to keep up?
• How can I change to be more like them (the competitors)?

When the competition is fierce, that is the best time to find your identity. Your purpose… your purpose above the “average.” After all, Chick-fil-A or some other very competitive program wants more than management robots. They want leaders that will lead to a higher calling. They want an identity. So as you grow, try to “own” your leadership style instead of copying the status quo.

With that said, never forget the purpose of an operation you are working in. Chick-fil-A at it’s core is a profit driven machine. The expectations of leaders are greater because of the greater reward. You should never lose focus to continually reinvent and not get behind. As soon as you get behind, the competition will pass you and not look back.

 

“…Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.”

-Luke 12:48 (ESV)