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Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?
President Abe Lincoln said this in response to an elderly lady who had chastised him for not calling Southerners, whom he had referred to as fellow human beings who were in error, irreconcilable enemies who must be destroyed.
I have always been highly competitive. Growing up playing a variety of sports, I loved to win. Starting with little league baseball all the way to playing league tennis today, I thoroughly enjoy competing at the highest level and winning. Likewise, I have never taken losing well. I have lost many a night’s sleep, tormented by an unexpected defeat.
No surprise that this competitive spirit has spilled into my business life as well. Early in my career, I despised my fellow competitors. They were the bad guys, and I was the good guy. I was always looking for an advantage. Where were they most vulnerable?
As a result, I had very little communication or contact with my competitors. Why would I? They were a threat to my entrepreneurial existence. I was sure they were stealing my clients, poaching my best employees, and pilfering what little intellectual capital I had. My job was to eliminate my competitors using whatever competitive advantage I might have.
How did that work out, you ask?
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