Anything for an Edge
St. Louis Cardinal Stan Musial spent 22 years in Major League Baseball and became one of the best hitters in baseball history. Nicknamed “Stan the Man” because of the way he dominated games with his powerful hitting, Musial, like many top performers, was always looking for an edge.
One day, he landed on the idea to trim his eyelashes to help him the see the ball better. With shorter eyelashes, Musial reasoned, he just might see the spin of the ball with more clarity, allowing him to improve his hitting.
The best performers and leaders are always on the lookout for an edge. Anything that gives them an advantage over the competition becomes a secret weapon shared with only a select few. In reality, many of the tactics that become an edge may or may not provide any advantage. Believing in the edge is more than half of its power.
When your team believes you have some secret sauce, they exhibit a pride that protects them from critics and doubters. So the best leaders not only find an insight or tactic that will offer a distinct advantage, but they also promote it within the team as something very special.
The team, in turn, comes to believe they have found a secret that serves them well. If the idea actually proves to offer a significant advantage, then the team is ever more powerful in thought and in execution. So what is your edge? What insight or action gives you even the slightest advantage over the competition? Find an edge that bolsters the team and gives them even more confidence during performance. For leaders, helping others find an inner power is the real secret sauce.