Why Better Is Better Than Best

The fastest runners in the world run between 12-14mph (19-23kph). The average bear runs between 30-40mph (48-64kph).  That means if a bear decides to give chase, even Usain Bolt, the world record sprinter, could not outrun it.

But there is an adage: to get away from a bear you don't have to be the fastest runner in the world, you just have to be faster than the guy behind you.  

The same is true in business. 

It is amazing how many businesses, big and small, like to present themselves as "the best." I once met an optometrist, for example, who bragged to me that her store had "the best service in the industry." A claim that is simply untrue - or at least there is no way to actually measure if it even if it is true.  At the end of the day, there is no way for any business to say they offer the best of anything - service, quality or features. There are no standard metrics and most companies have no idea who all their competitors are. 

The good news is, you don't need to be the best. You need to be better.  "The best" is an impossible standard that lacks credibility. But "better" is a realistic claim and a much easier comparison to make. The optometrist I met should have told me that she was "driven to offer better service than any of the other stores in the area and, more importantly, to outdo her own great service every year." To her this seemingly lower claim is actually much more realistic, much more believable and much more appealing.

The standard of "better" also keeps you on your toes. Like being chased by a bear, you always have to be one step ahead not to get eaten. Thinking you're better means you have to keep pushing, learning and improving because there is still room for improvement (not to mention there is a huge bear running behind you). Being the best offers only a short-term advantage.

  Once you're the best, there is no incentive to push any harder and laziness or hubris start to set in (think about any big company that made it to the top of their industry only to be bashed from all sides by every competitor...bashed by everyone working to be better). And for all those "bests" out there who believe their incentive is to stay the best, they are fooling themselves. Just as there is much more of an incentive to lose a few pounds than to stay the same weight, just as there is much more of an incentive to run your next race faster than to  run it at the same pace, the incentive to improve is always more powerful than the false incentive to stay in one place, even if it's the best.

Any great athlete, company or leader that is actually capable of staying ahead of the pack for any significant period of time is able to do so not because they think they are the best, but because they show up every day to do better than their most important competitor of all: themselves.

Pushing yourself and those around you to be the best is unsustainable. Pushing yourself and those around you to be better is the only way to best the best...and outrun the bear.

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Comments

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Sometimes we dream of "achievable" visions - ones that are possible if we just turn the crank. Break it into bite size pieces, and work away. Sure, sometimes a bite size piece is a bit too big or slow, but we still make progress.

And, sometimes it helps to long for a hopeless cause. One that is basically impossible - we could never learn all teh skill sets, we are unlikely to get all the talent in the same place at the same time, the cash flow just does not work. Having that unattainable vision allows you to say "Well, X will never happen, but I can do Y, so I'll do Y." And keep plodding forward.

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My conclusion is that all the benchmark studies are useless. The only thing you have to do is check if you did better today.

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But there is an adage: to get away from a bear you don't have to be the fastest runner in the world, you just have to be faster than the guy behind you.

[Happy Little]

Very good reminder of what is really human nature. We don't like people who are too cocky and 'full of themselves'. A bit of humility is always good and helps to gain trust in any venue, business or personal.

[Adele {modernemotive}]

Thank you so much for this post. It put things in a whole different perspective for me. So much so, it inspired me to write a post surrounding it. I hope you can find the time to read it:

http://modernemotive.com/blog/2010/08/17/1517/

Again thank you.

[CarlThress]

Terrific post. Those who are the best get there and stay there by constantly trying to be better. Thanks for the reminder.

[Allen Bramhall]

The title caught me. The twist in thinking is really useful. Thanks!

[Laura Lee Bloor]

I would add that striving to be better is also much less stressful and daunting than aiming to be the best. Also, I've noticed that talking and viewing the world in absolutes -- like best and worst -- tends to cripple open minds.

[khush-Adsense Information]

A great perspective! You are right, our most important competitor is ourselves. All the time attempting to outperform ourselves is the best way to be on track, is an achievable goal and makes us better.

[MarkusKarlsson]

This is a great way of looking at things and the best thing is that it's very easy to take action on it.

The reality is that there are very few things that can categorically be called the best since so much is subjective. Being and doing better, continuous improvement, is all you can do. It's just important to do it as quickly as you can.

[Jody]

damn - that's one nasty looking picture of a grizzly. If that amazing creature were chasing me I'd certainly feel inspired to to stay one step ahead of the pack! I so appreciate the motivation - thanks.
Jody
http://www.peapublishing.com

[SiMo_Folife]

another home run. i was piping this to the CEO of our company today... two points: better is more realistic, but also bettering ourselves compared to our current self is just outright REAL.

[John Knowles]

I think that the saying "Think Big!, Then think Bigger!" fits into the same idea. The person who claims they are the best have the bourdon to live up to that. It is a short lived title. The hardest part about this bit of advise is that you will never stop running till you are better than the best! Then what? Train people to be better i guess...

Interesting idea!
Thanks for sharing.

[Olav]

Thank you! After watching your "Why"-talk over at Ted.com, I've read many of your blog posts. This blog is a very good source of inspiration.

[Keesjan Kleef]

Interesting way to look at it.
My conclusion is that all the benchmark studies are useless. The only thing you have to do is check if you did better today.