No one wants to be second, but everyone wants to be first. We want to be the best. Yes, it is possible to be the best at what you do. But it takes lots of work, dedication, focus, determination, frustration, and hard work.
You can be the best at what you do if you focus on what you are doing, if you focus on the most important thing- the job at hand. Joseph A. Maciariello, author of A Year with Peter Drucker, said, “Focus on your core competencies; focus on your strengths; don’t major in the minors. If you want your life to count, if you want your organization to count, the secret is to focus. Do a few things well.”
It is important to focus on your core competencies because they will show people what you can do. They will show people what you are made of. They will show people what you said in your job interview that you are good at. Your core competencies are your strengths. Sell them well. Use them well. Your core competencies are your strengths, and your strengths are what will get you to the finish line, not your weaknesses.
You can also be the best by concentrating on a few important activities that will make a big difference in your life, and in your organization. Peter Drucker, the great management scholar and researcher, said, “Concentrate on the smallest number of activities that will focus on the greatest productivity.” If you want to achieve great results, focus on doing the right things. If you focus on doing so many things at the same time, you will not do well. But if you focus all your energy on the thing you are doing, without dividing your attention, you will do very well.
If you want to be the best, focus on your core competencies, and concentrate on doing one thing at a time.
