Business is the most competitive sport hands down. And of all the competitive sports the automobile business is by far the most competitive. Nothing even comes close to equaling it. There is always someone wanting to take your championship ring from you.
The challenge for those in the automobile business has been and always will be figuring out the next step in order to stay ahead. There’s an old saying "Lead, follow or get the hell out of the way."
That should be your motto. And to that point, in order to lead something you have to take risks. You cannot afford to sit back and wait for others to make the bold moves. The ones who have the courage to step out of the box first are the big winners.
Sure, stepping out of the box has risks. You may fail at first and you may have to hit the rewind button a few times, but in the end you win. It’s all about winning. You can’t win sitting on the sidelines waiting for someone else to figure it out. Winning means getting on the field and getting your face dirty and smashed once in a while.
Winning means doing those things others can’t or won’t do. Winning means removing things (and in some cases people) blocking your progress and getting on with it. Winning means trying things you don’t yet totally believe in, but knowing what you’re currently doing isn’t going to keep you in first place.
Sometimes blind luck (the right franchise at the right time and the right place) will get you in first place, but blind luck will only last for so long. At some point you have to make your own luck by doing things that make you uncomfortable. Being uncomfortable is never easy, but losing first place is even less so.
Continue to do what you’ve always done feels warm and fuzzy until you wake up one day and someone has taken your fuzzy ball and bat from you.
The car business isn’t a game. It’s a tough competitive sport and that’s what makes it such a great business to be in.
Remember, "You never get it right and there’s always more to do and something to fix." Now go fix something even if it’s not broken.
That’s all I’m gonna say. Tommy Gibbs