College basketball coach Jay Wright recently announced he’s stepping down because he lost his edge. Keep in mind he’s one of the top coaches in the country and won two national championships in the last six years.
It’s great he noticed it, which not everybody does (notice). For example:
- Business owners get to the point where it’s a good life, with good income, and pretty much go through the motions. These are the businesses sharp buyers want to acquire, fundamentally good with a lot of low hanging fruit of things to improve.
- People who do the same thing over and over because, “That’s the way we’ve always done it.” This could be owners who haven’t grasped the use of data, advisors who aren’t up-to-speed on modern techniques, and, especially, aging politicians who hang on for no reason other than ego (the average age of the U.A. House and Senate is almost 65, an all-time record and the leaders are 80 and above).
- Employers who didn’t (and haven’t) realize how important it is to take care of their employees. The employees who have realized there are plenty of other options out there so they’re not stuck in something they don’t want to do anymore.
- There’s a flip side to the last point and it’s the people who never had an edge. A perfect example is from an article I recently saw about how a lot of recent college grads are working hospitality and retail because they can’t get better jobs (perhaps because their education was in something not needed in the market).
It’s hard to notice, and especially realize, you’ve lost your edge. When you do, it’s time to get out the sharpener whether it be a new job, your own business, getting out of your business, having a coach, etc.
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” Arthur Ashe
