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Goodoldlessonsinteamworkfromanage-oldfableTheTortoiseAndTheHareOnceuponatimeatortoiseandaharehadanargumentaboutwhowasfaster.I’mthefastestrunner.That’snottrue.Thefastestrunnerisme!Ok,let’shavearace.Fine!Theydecidedtosettletheargumentwitharace.Theyagreedonarouteandstartedofftherace.Thehareshotaheadandranbrisklyforsometime.Thenseeingthathewasfaraheadofthetortoise,hethoughthe'dsitunderatreeforsometimeandrelaxbeforecontinuingtherace.Poorguy!EvenifItakeanap,hecouldnotcatchupwithme.Hesatunderthetreeandsoonfellasleep.Thetortoiseploddingonovertookhimandsoonfinishedtherace,emergingastheundisputedchamp.Theharewokeupandrealizedthathe'dlosttherace.Themoralofthestoryisthatslowandsteadywinstherace.Thisistheversionofthestorythatwe'veallgrownupwith.Thestorycontinues…Theharewasdisappointedatlosingtheraceandhedidsomesoul-searching.Herealizedthathe'dlosttheraceonlybecausehehadbeenoverconfident,carelessandlax.Ifhehadnottakenthingsforgranted,there'snowaythetortoisecouldhavebeatenhim.WhydidIlosetherace?Canwehaveanotherrace?Ok.Sohechallengedthetortoisetoanotherrace.Thetortoiseagreed.Thistime,theharewentalloutandranwithoutstoppingfromstarttofinish.Hewonbyseveralmiles.Themoralofthestory?Fastandconsistentwillalwaysbeattheslowandsteady.Ifyouhavetwopeopleinyourorganization,oneslow,methodicalandreliable,andtheotherfastandstillreliableatwhathedoes,thefastandreliablechapwillconsistentlyclimbtheorganizationalladderfasterthantheslow,methodicalchap.It'sgoodtobeslowandsteady;butit'sbettertobefastandreliable.Butthestorydoesn'tendhere…Thetortoisedidsomethinkingthistime,andrealizedthatthere'snowayhecanbeatthehareinaracethewayitwascurrentlyformatted.HowcanIcanwinthehare?Hethoughtforawhile,andthenchallengedtheharetoanotherrace,butonaslightlydifferentroute.Thehareagreed.Sure!Canwehaveanotherrace?Thistimewe’llgothroughadifferentroute.Theystartedoff.Inkeepingwithhisself-madecommitmenttobeconsistentlyfast,theharetookoffandranattopspeeduntilhecametoabroadriver.Thefinishinglinewasacoupleofkilometersontheothersideoftheriver.GoalTheharesattherewonderingwhattodo.Inthemeantimethetortoisetrundledalong,gotintotheriver,swamtotheoppositebank,continuedwalkingandfinishedtherace.WhatshouldIdo?Themoralofthestory?Firstidentifyyourcorecompetencyandthenchangetheplayingfieldtosuityourcorecompetency.Inanorganization,ifyouareagoodspeaker,makesureyoucreateopportunitiestogivepresentationsthatenabletheseniormanagementtonoticeyou.Ifyourstrengthisanalysis,makesureyoudosomesortofresearch,makeareportandsenditupstairs.Workingtoyourstrengthswillnotonlygetyounoticed,butwillalsocreateopportunitiesforgrowthandadvancement.Thestorystillhasn'tended…Thehareandthetortoise,bythistime,hadbecomeprettygoodfriendsandtheydidsomethinkingtogether.Bothrealizedthatthelastracecouldhavebeenrunmuchbetter.Sotheydecidedtodothelastraceagain,buttorunasateamthistime.Hi,buddy.Howaboutdoingourlastraceagain?Great!Ithinkwecoulddoitmuchbetter,ifwetwohelpeachother.Hi,buddy.Howaboutdoingourlastraceagain?Theystartedoff,andthistimetheharecarriedthetortoisetilltheriverbank.There,thetortoisetookoverandswamacrosswiththehareonhisback.Ontheoppositebank,thehareagaincarriedthetortoiseandtheyreachedthefinishinglinetogether.Theybothfeltagreatersenseofsatisfactionthanthey'dfeltearlier.Themoralofthestory?It'sgoodtobeindividuallybrilliantandtohavestrongcorecompetencies;butunlessyou'reabletoworkinateamandharnesseachother'scorecompetencies,you'llalwaysperformbelowparbecausetherewillalwaysbesituationsatwhichyou'lldopoorlyandsomeoneelsedoeswell.Teamworkismainlyaboutsituationalleadership,lettingthepersonwiththerelevantcorecompetencyforasituationtakeleadership.Therearemorelessonstobelearntfromthisstory.Notethatneithertheharenorthetortoisegaveupafterfailures.Theharedecidedtoworkharderandputinmoreeffortafterhisfailure.Thetortoisechangedhisstrategybecausehewasalreadyworkingashardashecould.Inlife,whenfacedwithfailure,sometimesitisappropriatetoworkharderandputinmoreeffort.Sometimesitisappropriatetochangestrategyandtrysomethingdifferent.Andsometimesitisappropriatetodoboth.Thehareandthetortoisealsolearntanothervitallesson.Whenwestopcompetingagainstarivalandinsteadstartcompetingagainstthesituation,weperformfarbetter.WhenRobertoGoizuetatookoverasCEOofCoca-Colainthe1980s,hewasfacedwithintensecompetitionfromPepsithatwaseatingintoCoke'sgrowth.HisexecutiveswerePepsi-focusedandintentonincreasingmarketshare0.1percentatime.RobertodecidedtostopcompetingagainstPepsiandinsteadcompeteagainstthesituationof0.1percentgrowth.HeaskedhisexecutiveswhatwastheaveragefluidintakeofanAmericanperday?Theanswerwas14ounces.WhatwasCoke'sshareofthat?Twoounces.RobertosaidCokeneededalargershareofthatmarket.Thecompetitionwasn'tPepsi.Itwasthewater,tea,coffee,milkandfruitjuicesthatwentintotheremaining12ounces.ThepublicshouldreachforaCokewhenevertheyfeltlikedrinkingsomething.Tothisend,Cokeputupvendingmachinesateverystreetcorner.SalestookaquantumjumpandPepsihasneverquitecaughtupsince.Tosumup,thestoryofthehareandtortoiseteachesusmanythings:NevergiveupwhenfacedwithfailureFastan