I Found the Secret to Success!
If everyone has access to the same tools, the same technology, and the same strategies, what actually becomes the competitive advantage?
Every year begins with decisions about where to focus. What to learn. What to adopt. What to build around. These decisions are your strategy for success, even more than any goal that gets written down. For many businesses this year, that focus is AI.
People are investing in tools, prompts, platforms, and automations. Google’s CEO has called the invention of AI more important than either fire or electricity. When you listen to all the hype, it can start to feel like success is simply a matter of how deeply AI is embedded into your workflow.
Now, I’m not saying those tools don’t matter. I’m just saying there’s more to the story. History tells us something important: every major advantage eventually becomes common.
The personal computer was once a competitive edge. Then everyone had one. The smartphone changed business forever. Now even children have them. Social media, cloud software, and data analytics all started as uncommon and powerful. Over time, what was new became normal. What was once an advantage became average.
AI will be the same. It’s important, but it isn’t the secret to success. Which raises an important question. If everyone has access to the same tools, the same technology, and the same strategies, what actually becomes the competitive advantage?
The answer has always been the same. You.
Your judgment. Your discipline. Your work ethic. Your values. Your ability to think, decide, adapt, and lead when things are unclear. Those are the factors that consistently separate those who grow from those who stall.
This year, learn new strategies. Adopt new technology. Use AI in ways that genuinely help you work better. But don’t miss the most important truth. The greatest investment you can make this year is not in the tools you learn to use, but in who you are becoming.
What is an advantage today will soon be average tomorrow. The leverage that remains is you.