Leveraging Strengths: A Strategy Lesson from the Softball Field
- Savannah Wong
- Jan 27
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 29
When I was in college, I signed on with a team that had not had a winning season in over 10 years. My team and I turned a struggling softball program into one with consecutive winning seasons and multiple NCAA DII conference tournament appearances. We experienced great success but our journey was challenging. During my senior year, after a strong start to the season, we became overly fixated on competitor stats, which shifted our focus from leveraging our strengths to reacting to others. This change led to a performance slump and an unexpected loss to a less skilled team. Following a humbling defeat and a text from our coach that read, “No need to bring your equipment to practice; just bring running shoes” (aka: intense punishment running 😓 😵), we refocused on our unique strengths and what set us apart from other teams. This shift allowed us to overcome the slump and finish with another winning season.
This experience taught me that while it's crucial to be aware of competitors, true success lies in leveraging our own strengths and maintaining our distinct advantages. Successful strategy involves making deliberate choices that capitalize on your own strengths rather than imitating others. While competitive analysis and benchmarking is important, it should inform rather than dictate your strategy. The goal is to stay true to your unique value while learning from others, not to lose your differentiation by simply copying competitors.
Competitive analysis should be utilized as follows:
🎯Strategic Development: Ensure that your strategy aligns with the company's long-term vision and goals. Use competitive analysis to refine and inform your approach, rather than letting it dictate your core direction.
💫Value Creation: Prioritize creating and delivering unique value to your customers. Focus on your own strengths rather than merely reacting to competitors' tactics.
✅Informed Decision-Making: Leverage competitive analysis for benchmarking and identifying emerging trends. This helps in setting realistic goals and expectations.
Instead of solely reacting to competitors, understand your own unique value and strengths. Differentiate yourself for long-term success - and remember to bring really good running shoes…you’ll need them as you run circles around the competition 👟 🤓 🤣
