From Tiger, to Jordan, to Jack Welch... superstars have one thing in common:
They are never satisfied with their current set of skills or level of ability.

Not ever.

Not even when they rise to the very top of their field.

They avoid the “satisfaction curse” like the plague.

They keep pushing. They keep asking: How can I improve? How can I become more consistent? How can I beat the competition? This is why Tiger Woods still works with a coach every week to help him improve his swing. And that’s exactly “How” this man has come to outperform his competition so consistently for so long.

If you too want to be a leader in your field, take a long hard look at your brand - whether it’s a company, product, or service - and ask yourself: How badly do you want it? How committed are you to becoming the top brand in your category, marketplace or industry?

I’m in my 14th year working with CEOs of small and mid-sized brands, and I can honestly tell you that the biggest brand killer is complacency. The moment you start feeling overly confident about the success of your product, service or company is the very moment you begin to fail as a brand. Satisfaction, in any form, spells bad news for your business. You must commit yourself to always asking the important “How” questions:
- How can we deliver a solution 10 times better than the competition?
- How can we double our sales in the next three years?
- How can we engage a higher level clientele?
- How committed are you?

The “Power of How” also applies to current economic conditions. Asking “How” helps you avoid the pit trap of blaming the economy, licking your wounds, or giving in to self-doubt. How can we make money when our industry sector is losing money? How can we cut our sales cycle in half? How can we create decisive and immediate buzz? As your “How” questions become more specific, your answers will become equally more specific, decisive and actionable. You’ll begin to see a way forward to a brighter future for your brand, as you head toward a position of leadership.

To help guide your thinking, we’ve prepared a “HOW” worksheet. Bring your team together around these ten challenges to complacency, and you’ll be well on your way to achieving great things for your brand in the months and years ahead.