Hicks and numerous companies have much in common — lots of promise, tons of potential, and consistently average results. This is not just limited to small firms as thousands of regional, national, and international organizations are the equivalent of the one-hit wonders in the record industry. While making many of their owners or stockholders a decent return on their investment, the bottom-line results are a far cry from the outcomes achieved by contenders.

Here are a few of the differences between contenders and pretenders:

Pretenders aspire to something bigger, but never quite make it. They are composed of people with raw talent who often work very hard to achieve the desired level of success, and still, the ultimate growth they desire just doesn’t come. What makes matters worse, leaders in full-blown pretender firms regularly rollout the new “flavor of the month” strategy, thinking it will be their ticket to prosperity. Unfortunately, this tactic only admits them to the theater of the absurd as they become known for their lack of follow-through. Pretenders dream big, talk a good game, and that’s all it is…just talk.

Contenders make big things happen and don’t have to spend much time talking about it. They know talent isn’t enough and that winning requires discipline, opportunism, and resilience. Contenders convert raw abilities into consistent best practices that reduce labor intensity. Leaders in these firms spend more time on strategy instead of tactics, knowing that the flavor of the month is best left to ice cream. Contenders dream big, act bigger, and reap the financial rewards as they are grateful, yet, never fully satisfied that this is as good as it gets.

Is your firm consistently acting like a contender or exhibiting traits of a pretender? You may already have a sense from what you’ve read here today. To learn more, owners, leaders, and managers are invited to join me for a complimentary TeleClass where you’ll gain additional insights and have the opportunity to take the Contender Test. In addition, you’ll discover how contenders maintain their competitive status and grab more market share as a result.