Competitive Advantage

One dry afternoon, one of my teachers shared a story that left a lasting impression on me—a story about competitive advantage.

Long ago, two men set out on a fishing trip. After a successful catch, they prepared a barbecue to grill the fish and enjoy their meal. But as the mouth-watering aroma wafted through the air, it attracted a hungry wild animal. In an instant, the peaceful setting turned dangerous.

One of the men panicked, his voice trembling with fear. "Holy Lord, what do we do?" he cried out.

The other man, however, remained calm. Without a word, he reached into his bag and pulled out a pair of running shoes, swiftly lacing them up.

"Do you think you can outrun the beast with those shoes, you fool?" the panicked friend shouted.

Unperturbed, the calm friend looked up and replied, "I don’t have to outrun the beast; I just have to outrun you."

As I reflect on the story, it became clear that the shoes symbolized a competitive advantage. But the real lesson lay deeper. The true advantage wasn’t just the shoes—it was his calm and strategic mindset.

We might debate the morality of leaving a friend behind, but in the harsh reality of survival, his greatest asset was his ability to stay composed and think clearly under pressure. That was his true competitive advantage.

When it comes to a war, there is no better weapon than a calm mind