Competitive Intelligence - You Can't Escape It

It's quite regrettable that some business executives are still quick to dismiss Competitive Intelligence (CI), even in this highly sophisticated 21st century. They're missing the boat by dismissing competitive intelligence while some of their smartest competitors may be hammering them using competitive intelligence.


It's simply due to lack of knowledge on the part of the executives. I'm very sorry that I must say it so bluntly about these top executives, but it's their ignorance, mediocrity and lack of sophistication. Nothing more. Each time I deal with this issue, considering my experience and frustration with those that are supposed to know better, I can feel the surge of adrenaline in me.
 


 

Like the big old tall ostrich, some executives think they can escape reality by hiding from it!

Indeed, there're business executives that are putting their heads in the sand like an ostrich does when she is faced with a challenging situation. These business executives refuse to confront or acknowledge the magnitude of the predicament they face in this ferociously competitive era. 


 

They're making themselves believe that Competitive Intelligence is not happening while their competitors are killing them with it. In fact, such executives who are in denial are their competitors' dreams come true. 

The same executives that are dismissing competitive intelligence are the same ones, whose potential customers are quickly dismissing their offerings - without adequate knowledge - and the executives can't figure out why they're not retaining as many customers as they would like to; or why they're not acquiring as many new customers as they would like to. Other such non-intelligence-active executives keep wondering why they can't maximize the profitability and longevity of some valued relationships - be it high-impact strategic partnerships or high yield clients or investors - to the extent they would like to. 

At the same time, the business executives that have understood and applied CI are hammering their competition; beating them very decisively; and are dominating the competitive landscape in their various market areas - year after year. They're driving higher performance than their peers. 

Smart executives in the leading firms are heeding the time-tested military leadership principle espoused by Winston Churchill former British Prime Minister:


 "No matter how enmeshed a commander becomes in the elaboration of his own thoughts, it is sometimes necessary to take the enemy into account."
 

But CI is not easy. 

Don't think it's an easy way out for business executives that are not willing or able to excel in other leadership areas. It requires more than ordinary business brains and acumen. It's not being crafty, being guile-laden or without a conscience or principles. It's not spying or the James Bond movie-type thrillers. It's not being unethical, being magical or being a psychic. Rather, it's doing business smarter and with greater finesse - and simply doing business more intelligently, using fact, data rather than intuition or raw guts.


 

To be continued.