Edition 444 – Winning At The Slowest Speed
If you know me, you know that I love motor sport. I’m probably a little less passionate than I once was, and don’t watch it as much as I have done in the past, however it’s still my number one sport.
Being an avid reader, I recently starting reading “Brabham: The Untold Story of Formula One” written by Tony Davis and Akos Armont. It’s an enthralling read as it charts the journey of one of Australia’s two Formula One world champions, Jack Brabham.
Back in the ’50’s and ’60’s, motor racing was an incredibly dangerous sport. Not a season went by that a competitor didn’t die mid-race, often whilst the racing went on around the scene of the carnage. It was also a time when the machinery wasn’t as reliable as it is today. Retirements through mechanical failure were commonplace throughout that era.
One of Jack Brabham’s mantras was “Winning at the Slowest Speed”. What that meant was that, whilst there were faster competitors out there, who would streak ahead of the field, Brabham’s engineering background meant that he chose to be kinder to the machinery as he lapped slightly slower. Ultimately, the trailblazers, more often than not, struck trouble, which allowed “Black Jack” to prevail by the time the end of the race approached. He may not always have won, but he bagged points consistently throughout the season, which meant all the difference come the final race of the season.
The interesting thing is that Jack Brabham’s mantra is a similar one to that of another of my motor sport idols, Jackie Stewart, who wrote in his autobiography, “Winning is Not Enough”, that he had to slow down, to speed up.
Recently, after a few months of badgering a particular client about slowing down to take stock of what’s happening in their business, they finally admitted that they only identified some key problem areas in their business, because they slowed down, took a step back, and spent the time looking at where and how they made money – and where and how they weren’t making money.
Rushing here, racing there. Flying interstate or overseas to chase down new opportunities. Taking on work to keep the cash flowing in the door, even though it’s not in your sweet spot. I’ve seen it so often over the years, that so many small and family business owners are operating at break neck speed, but in the process, seem to be spinning on their wheels.
Winning at the slowest speed. Jack Brabham was a triple Formula One World Champion, as was Jackie Stewart. In the history of Formula One, there’s an exclusive club of drivers that have won the World Championship, amongst the total number of drivers that have raced. Even fewer have won multiple championships. Yet, here’s two examples who chose to slow down to speed up and, in the end, won. Makes you think, doesn’t it?
This Week’s Tip
“When you slow things down, and take the time to work “on” your business,
chances are, you’ll find that you can be just as profitable in your business,
by being more selective about the work you do and, often, by working less.”