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Will your business win an Olympic medal?

The start of the Olympics finally triggered some interest from me and, in particular, the men’s cycling on the first Saturday. Having basked in the glory of Bradley Wiggins in the Tour de France it seemed to be a foregone conclusion that Mark Cavendish would be a gold medal winner at the Olympics. He had the dream team and they were trained to perfection, but it all went sadly wrong. There are many better qualified than I to explain what happened, but the gist of it is that many of Team GB’s competitors were more determined that Team GB should not win a medal than they were to win medals for themselves. This sad phenomenon is not restricted to cycling, and often manifests itself in business.

Oddly we don’t seem to like success and there is often a backlash that follows what is perceived as too much success. Look at Tesco and Starbucks – both companies were lauded for their products and presentation, yet became seen as too dominant in their chosen market sectors when they appeared to have huge market shares. Now they are seen as predators, to be held back wherever possible. Yet other businesses seem to avoid this reaction; again in the retail world, John Lewis for example.

Why? Is it to do with ownership model or is it to do with attitude, or are those two things linked? There is a smugness and/or arrogance inherent in the way some businesses present themselves. This manifestation of self-belief and lack of humility can trigger some very adverse reactions. Does your business evoke the right feelings in your marketplace? Or are you heading for Team GB men’s cycling moment?

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Denis Kaye .