My recent read was a book with an intriguing title called David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants, by Malcolm Gladwell. The book explores the concept of underdogs and their ability to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. One of the key arguments in the book is that when facing a powerful opponent, it’s often better to play by your own rules rather than trying to play by theirs.
In the original story, David, a young shepherd, defeats Goliath, a giant and skilled warrior, using a slingshot and a stone. Gladwell uses this story to illustrate that disadvantages can sometimes be turned into advantages. He believes that benefits can sometimes lead to unexpected disadvantages. Goliath had all the advantages – he was big, heavily armoured, and experienced in battle. On the other hand, David seemed to be at a severe disadvantage due to his smaller size, inexperience and lack of armour.
Gladwell believes that Goliath’s size and strength proved to be disadvantaged. He believes that Goliath suffered from a medical condition that likely caused him to have poor vision, and his armour made him slow and cumbersome. At the same time, David was agile and skilled with a slingshot. By choosing to fight on his terms and using his unique skills, David exploited Goliath’s weaknesses and emerged victorious.
I was inspired to adapt the lessons from the book to the corporate context. We can rethink traditional strategies, leverage our strengths, and challenge established norms.
Here are some ways we can do it.
Let’s Build Unconventional Strengths : Just like David used his slingshot skill, identify unique strengths within your team. These strengths might not be the most obvious or conventionally valued, but they could provide a competitive advantage.
Let’s Cultivate a Growth Mindset : We must inculcate a continuous learning and adaptation culture. We can then face challenges and setbacks as opportunities for growth and improvement.
Let’s Embrace Diversity : Always include diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences, as it can lead to innovative thought and breakthrough solutions.
Let’s Become Risk-Takers : Experimentation and trying new approaches can lead to path-breaking concepts.
Let’s Form Strong Relationships : Developing solid relationships within our industry or workplace can provide support and resources when facing challenges.
Let’s Focus on Customer Needs : Small and agile teams can often provide more personalized, responsive and attentive customer service.
Let’s Become Storytellers and Good Communicators : We must highlight our unique strengths and victories. We will celebrate our “specialness” to make CSS stand out in the logistics marketplace.
Chandra Kala and Sasi Kala, or CK and SK as we call them, are some top management set to take CSS to the next plane of growth and expansion. Logistics is considered to be a “male-dominated space”. However, a PwC report called “Transportation & Logistics 2030 – Winning the talent race” confirmed the link between a more gender-balanced workforce in logistics and higher financial returns. Those logistics businesses with more women on the board outperform their competitors by 16% in return on sales and 26% when comparing the return on
invested capital.
The Gulf News featured our company, and I quote from this article, “As they embark on this journey to shape the future of the CSS Group, CK and SK remain steadfast in their commitment to excellence, aiming to exceed customer expectations and set new benchmarks in the industry. With their shared vision, unyielding determination, and unwavering focus on core values, the twin sisters are set to lead the CSS Group into an exciting new era of success and growth.”
I liked a line from the book: “Giants are not what we think they are. The same qualities that appear to strengthen them are often the sources of great weakness.”
Let’s turn disadvantages into advantages. Let’s play fair and square by our own rules. I know that the next decade will position CSS to succeed remarkably.