As the opening skirmishes of the premiership football season got underway, some pundits were predicting that this could be one of the closest seasons in a long time. And if the first two weeks are anything to go by, those predictions may well be right. Whilst key signings appear to be playing their part, new approaches and fresh tactics are turning certainties into unpredictable outcomes.
It’s one of the fascinating aspects of football, the way in which clubs study tactics and form in a continuing bid to improve and to make the most of their assets. And whilst money speaks, being able to buy the best is no guarantee of success when other teams are continually looking to find ways of winning by playing smarter, by innovating for success.
It’s a lesson which those in other forms of business would do well to remember. Having longevity, being financially secure, trading on past successes means nothing when smaller, faster, more agile organisations are continually looking to improve and take market share. In today’s fast moving world, what happened in the past is no guarantee of future success. And when disruptors can come from anywhere, when staying ahead of the game requires an ongoing focus on creating agile solutions, the only certainty is that the winners will be those who refuse to accept the status quo and instead focus on innovating for success.