Look for the similarities, not the differences.
— Alcoholics Anonymous
AA members believe "comparing" is the sure path back to the bottle.
Comparing leads the drunk to minimize his problem-drinking ("I was never as bad as he was") and exaggerate his ability to control his drinking ("He drank every day; I'll only drink on weekends").
Instead, the drunk is supposed to "identify" with fellow members—accept that he's also an alcoholic and admit he can't control his drinking (it controls him).
My experience working with hundreds of different businesses has taught me that comparing—in AA's sense—is one of executives' worst habits—and an equally certain path to self-defeat.
I'd be rich if I had a dollar for every time an executive told me "we're different" (a statement often followed by "we're the industry leader").
Business strategists would call that attitude "optimism."
I call it drunk-think.
Executives who believe "we're different" are drunk, drunk on a special flavor of Kool-Aid known as "Cheery Red."
Drinking too much of it causes comparing.
For a decisionmaker, that's a terrible self-handicap.
Drinking too much Cherry Red, like drinking too much alcohol, blurs vision, slows cognition, and impairs judgement.
And, like drinking too much alcohol, drinking too much Cherry Red can bring on denial—even deliria.
You hear examples of drunk-think in businesses every day.
"That's unnecessary."
"That's untested."
"That can't be done."
"We tried that, it doesn't work."
"That's too expensive."
"That's too risky."
"That's fine for other companies."
"That's for start-ups."
"That's for losers."
"That's irrelevant."
"I've never heard of that."
"That's not how we do things here."
Drunk-think distorts reality because it's always way-too overconfident.
Like the abusive drinker who believes he's different—that he can control his drinking—the executive afflicted by drunk-think believes that, compared to others, he is awesome—he can pull it off. He's peerless, after all, exempt from the ordinary constraints all his competitors suffer; exempt from the laws of economics, too. He has no need to rock the boat; challenge the company status quo; look outside for new ideas; or adopt others' proven strategies. He only needs to stay calm and carry on.
Eventually, drunk-think will take its toll on the executive.
He may not destroy the company car, but he's sure to destroy the company's value.
