Nothing in this world fails quite as well as success. You see it all the time.  A company starts to feel, for lack of a better word, entitled, thinking that they actually earned the success. When that mindset creeps into the organization the battle is lost. There is always someone who is hungrier, faster, and smarter. A competitor who is just waiting for you to put your sword down, so they can make their move and take the top spot.

Think about it for a second.  When you are hungry, being in second place is a pretty good area to be.  Every victory rallies the troops and puts you closer to that number one slot. The top company is SUPPOSED to win.  It is expected of the best, so every loss demoralizes the team more and more. As the hungry organization tally’s up wins and increases morale, the entitled one loses a little more control until they are looking though the windshield instead of the rear view mirror.

It’s a double edge sword. A team works their tails off and expects a little R & R, which is fine.  The problem is a reward and a break are two different animals.  I believe in celebrating all victories, no matter how small. However, as soon as the champagne glasses stop clinking, its back to work with the mindset that even one down day could be the difference between winning and losing.