True Competitive Strengths Are Hidden in How You Work—Not Just What You Own

Companies and people often count their strengths by tallying up resources—money, contacts, technology, credentials. But long-term advantage comes from the ways we work: our processes and values. This difference reveals itself when change hits. Take an entrepreneur who prided herself on adaptability, running a sleek, efficient bakery. Her process for bringing out new pastries served her well with walk-in customers, but when a local café asked for custom, branded treats, she struggled to make quick changes. Her established weekly planning cycle and tight cost control, once her edge, now slowed her down in the face of a new opportunity.

There's a scientific reason for this: processes evolve from repeated practice, creating routines that minimize uncertainty. They become strengths—until the required task shifts. Psychology calls this “learned structure,” and it works until the structure no longer fits new demands. The same is true of values, the silent priorities that shape every decision. Unchecked, the qualities that made you or your team successful yesterday can quietly become today's blind spots. Recognizing this is key to real agility.

Starting today, make it a habit to jot down your work routines and group habits—the ways you tackle recurring problems, the meetings no one questions, the files you always keep. Notice which decisions get made almost on autopilot, whether for yourself or across your team. Then, when something new or unexpected comes up, pause and compare: do our routines help, or do they get in the way? Where do our priorities seem rigid? This simple audit is often the wakeup call you need; sometimes, changing the 'how' is more important than adding new resources. Let this question echo as you see new opportunities emerge this week.