There was a strong organization in a relatively exclusive market. In its early days, the company and the employees were singularly focused on serving its customers extremely well…so well, in fact, that it led the marketplace, not only in product but in service.

But then the focus changed.

Now when you call the company, you may or may not get a resolution to your question. They may or may not call you back. Their sales team has gone from helping each client find the solution that fits them best to “how quickly can I make this sale and move on?”

What happened?

The company leadership changed its focus – from being the best in product and service…to growth. The irony is that they were growing in leaps and bounds before, and now their customers are starting to find other alternatives in the marketplace. The alternatives are not better – in fact, they are not – but the service is better.

And the employees, those people who used to love their jobs? They are leaving in droves.

Is it wrong to focus on growth in a company? Of course not. A company must grow and create profit. But to focus on that to the detriment of quality and service…that is a path to serious repercussions.

Now the truth is, they are not the only company who does this. Companies have been doing this for years. They grow to a certain point and then take their eyes off the goal that got them there.

They begin to experience “competition within” – the sales force becomes competitive amongst themselves due to increased pressure to make the sales. The internal teams become disjointed individuals. The customers begin to sense the changes and go elsewhere.

Then these company leaders begin to lament: “It’s the competition. It’s tough out there.”

And it is. But it was tough before, when the company was growing, too.

What made the difference?

A singular focus on service and a dedicated workforce.

When the vision gets shifted, a company ends up with “competition within” as well as the real or perceived “competition without.”

As a leader, your most important roles are to cast the vision and create a collaborative team that is focused on making that vision happen. If the focus is right, the growth will happen as a welcome side effect. If the focus is misplaced, you will know, because you will see signs of increased “competition within.”

The good news is, you as a leader can turn it around by simply going back to the vision and then getting your team on board once again. A focused, collaborative team can crush the outside competition.

As the CEO of Strength Leader Development, Deb Ingino is a highly sought-after international executive mentor, coach, trainer and speaker. Deb is well versed in global business operations and helps business leaders and their teams to discover and leverage their strengths, so they can create highly collaborative teams that deliver great results. With a refreshingly direct style, Deb helps leaders and their teams to deliver profitable results. Connect with Deb to learn more about her mentorship and coaching programs to equip you with advanced strategies to elevate your results.