In the business world, we often equate success with knowledge: having deep domain expertise. After all, understanding your market, knowing your audience and mastering your craft seem like obvious prerequisites to achievement. But after years of consulting with brands on their positioning and communications strategy, I've observed something crucial: knowledge alone is insufficient.
Consider the C-suite executives and directors we work with. Many openly acknowledge knowledge gaps in brand building, marketing and communications. They may not fully grasp their competitive landscape or understand how their audience perceives their brand. Their in-house teams might lack expertise in crucial areas like creative design or social media strategy.
But here's the paradox: I've heard countless presentations aimed at filling these knowledge gaps, only to watch organizations continue to struggle. Why? Because the missing ingredient isn't knowledge — it's discipline.
Discipline is the bridge between knowing and doing. It's the energy and determination to execute what you know needs to be done. Without discipline, knowledge becomes merely academic. With discipline but without knowledge, you're a bull in a china shop. But perhaps most frustrating is having the knowledge without the discipline to act on it. This is a recipe for paralysis that can drive individuals crazy and organizations into stagnation.
The solution? Build teams that combine both qualities. Here's the recipe:
First, gather seasoned experts who bring knowledge from different domains. Then, ensure many of these experts possess high energy and a passion for execution. Finally — and this is crucial — include someone who can bind the team together, someone who understands that collective success trumps individual achievement.
So, leaders, ask yourselves: Do you have this combination of knowledge and disciplined action in your organization? Can you develop it internally? Or do you need to look elsewhere to find it?
The gap between knowing and doing often determines success. Where does your organization stand?
