Competition is everywhere: Wall Street, private industry, start-ups, technology, sports, and school. We are always working to get ahead of whomever is in our line of sight and trying to stay ahead of those that aren’t on our radar.

“Are you trying to be someone else or are others trying to be you?”

The answer to this question can be a point of reference to where you are as a leader and an organization. It will help assess your strengths and opportunities.

Principles that keep others ahead:
<h3><strong>The Grind: </strong></h3>
No plays off! No days off! 24 x 7 x 365 or in the case of a leap year 366 is how often you should be grinding! Your team's and your success is tied to it! You want to win? Grind! What legacy are you trying to leave? If it is a legacy of doing legendary work, then Grind!
It isn't about the hours you put in, it is about what you are doing with the hours you put in.

<a href="http://anthonyrobles.com/" target="_blank">Anthony Robles</a>, born with only 1 leg, could have used that as an excuse to not have the same opportunities as others. Instead, he used it as motivation to Grind and get ahead of others. He won a National Championship in Wrestling, 2 ESPY Awards, Nike Sponsorship, now is a ESPN Analyst, Author, and Speaker.
<h3><strong>Impact vs. Presence:</strong></h3>
Every day you are working on your sentence. My sentence, you ask? Yes, you know what people say about you when you aren't around or when you leave to take on a new role in your current organization or another one.

<em>They were dedicated and had a great work ethic because they worked more than everyone else.</em>

<em>They made the coffee in the morning and turned the lights off at night. </em>

The kind of sentence that answers: <em>Did this person make an impact or were they just present?</em>

Every day is an opportunity to make an impact on someone in your life. The smallest impact to you may be a huge, even life changing impact on someone else.

I was interviewing one of my employees that has been with the company for over 10 years. His exact words, "The investment that you made in me and the leadership development you gave me is why I am still here. The only reason. And the only reason that I am interviewing for a leadership position and worked my butt off to earn one."

That type of impact is why I do what I do. Why I get up every morning energized and passionate. Can you say the same?
<h3><strong>Staying Uncomfortable:</strong></h3>
If I were to ask you, “What are you learning right now?” or “What did you learn last week?”

<em>Would you be able to answer it immediately?</em>

<em>Would you have to think about it?</em>

<em>Would you say nothing that would make an impact on myself or others?</em>

Every day you have to push yourself to be uncomfortable. Comfortable is easy, but it has many negative side effects. Complacency, tunnel-vision, bad routines, and other non-beneficial habits. You should set out to learn something new every day. It could come from reading, an experience you had during the day, talking with someone that you don’t you know, physically trying something different, meditating, creating something new, thinking about your business in a way that no one has before or going to school. Keep your learnings in a journal or other places that you can re-visit often.

Wal-Mart is closing stores and changing their distribution strategy. Who would have ever thought the invincible Wal-Mart would have to make these changes? Amazon did, when they realized E-Commerce was what consumers wanted. They went all-in and Wal-Mart made no changes. They thought that Amazon wouldn’t have this big of an impact on their business. I wonder what they are thinking now that Amazon took a leading position in Market Cap.

To stay relevant, to stay ahead, and in the words of the great John C. Maxwell to continue to raise your lid you have to push yourself to stay uncomfortable!