--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Any corporate policy and plan which is…" description: "\"Any corporate policy and plan which is typical of the industry is doomed to mediocrity. Where this is not so, it should be possible to demonstrate that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3c/bruce-henderson-48897_competitors_any-corporate-policy-and-plan-which-is-t_1808534.png" --- # Any corporate policy and plan which is typical of the… ![“Any corporate policy and plan which is typical of the industry is doomed to mediocrity. Where this is not so, it should be possible to demonstrate that all other competitors are at a distinct disadvantage.” quote by Bruce Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3c/bruce-henderson-48897_competitors_any-corporate-policy-and-plan-which-is-t_1808534.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3c/bruce-henderson-48897_competitors_any-corporate-policy-and-plan-which-is-t_1808534.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3c/bruce-henderson-48897_competitors_any-corporate-policy-and-plan-which-is-t_1808534.png) > “Any corporate policy and plan which is typical of the industry is doomed to mediocrity. Where this is not so, it should be possible to demonstrate that all other competitors are at a distinct disadvantage.” [Bruce Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-henderson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Industry-wide policies often lead to average results; only truly distinctive strategies can create a competitive edge. **In simple terms:** Standard policies produce mediocrity; unique advantage requires proof of others' weakness. Key Takeaway Seek differentiation and evidence of competitors' disadvantage. Themes strategy competition innovation Mood determined analytical Type strategic critical When to use this quote - business planning - market entry - product development - leadership decisions Key Concepts Competitive analysis strategic differentiation Questions to Reflect On - What unique advantage can your organization develop? - How can you objectively assess competitors' weaknesses? A Different Perspective Assuming competitors are weak may be inaccurate; market dynamics change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Corporate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporate/) [Industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industry/) [Mediocrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mediocrity/) ## Related quotes > [I know that in the battle of ideas, Republican politicians are at a distinct disadvantage. Their fundamental philosophy - which I characterize as survival…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yarmuth/i-know-that-in-the-battle-of-ideas-republican-politicians-are-at-a/) [John Yarmuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-yarmuth/) > [I wish I wasn't so technically challenged, because it puts you at a distinct disadvantage. 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There's no advantage or disadvantage for either side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jurgen-klopp/derbies-are-always-difficult-to-play-because-you-have-to-handle-the/) [Jurgen Klopp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jurgen-klopp/) > [Being fat has its advantages and disadvantages. Advantage: Not worrying about what you're eating. Disadvantage: Struggling to squat down on the toilet after your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-fat-has-its-advantages-and-disadvantages-advantage-not-worrying/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The disadvantage of men not knowing the past is that they do not know the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-disadvantage-of-men-not-knowing-the-past-is-that-they-do-not-know/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [The disadvantage of working over networks is that you can't so easily go into someone else's office and rip their bloody heart out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-mcdonald/the-disadvantage-of-working-over-networks-is-that-you-can-t-so-easily/) Jim McDonald > [“I think this is one bad side of a mirror; it helps us to see the reflection of the effects of our own actions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/i-think-this-is-one-bad-side-of-a-mirror-it-helps-us-to-see-the/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [My family life reads a bit like 'Little House on the Prairie.' I was big sister to Joan, Renee, and brother William, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maeve-binchy/my-family-life-reads-a-bit-like-little-house-on-the-prairie-i-was-big/) [Maeve Binchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maeve-binchy/) > [“The disadvantage with people is that you can't put bookmarks in them and set them aside till you want them again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/the-disadvantage-with-people-is-that-you-can-t-put-bookmarks-in-them/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“The only disadvantage in surviving a dangerous experience lies in the fact that your story of it tends to be anticlimactic. You can never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/the-only-disadvantage-in-surviving-a-dangerous-experience-lies-in-the/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) ## More by Bruce Henderson > [“nearly 60 percent of the credible intelligence gathered in Europe came from Ritchie Boys.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-henderson/nearly-60-percent-of-the-credible-intelligence-gathered-in-europe/) [Bruce Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-henderson/) > [Any approach to strategy quickly encounters a conflict between corporate objectives and corporate capabilities. Attempting the impossible is not good strategy. It is just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-henderson/any-approach-to-strategy-quickly-encounters-a-conflict-between/) [Bruce Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-henderson/) > [The essential element of successful strategy is that it derives its success from the differences between competitors with a consequent difference in their behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-henderson/the-essential-element-of-successful-strategy-is-that-it-derives-its/) [Bruce Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-henderson/) > [The objective is to enlarge the scope of your advantage which can only happen at someone else's expense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-henderson/the-objective-is-to-enlarge-the-scope-of-your-advantage-which-can/) [Bruce Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-henderson/) > [Your most dangerous competitors are those that are most like you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-henderson/your-most-dangerous-competitors-are-those-that-are-most-like-you/) [Bruce Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-henderson/) > [Fatal North was being poisoned to death aboard his own vessel and by someone from his hand-picked crew... a cold-blooded, calculating, pre-meditated murder by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-henderson/fatal-north-was-being-poisoned-to-death-aboard-his-own-vessel-and-by/) [Bruce Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-henderson/) > [All strategy depends on competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-henderson/all-strategy-depends-on-competition/) [Bruce Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-henderson/) [Explore all 8 Bruce Henderson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-henderson/) ## More Competitors quotes > [Talented people can predict with great accuracy what's about to happen just a tiny bit ahead of their competitors. It might be two seconds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/talented-people-can-predict-with-great-accuracy-what-s-about-to/) [Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/) > [You want to remain hungry and stay in a good place as a competitor; at the same time, you want to be confident but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-odom/you-want-to-remain-hungry-and-stay-in-a-good-place-as-a-competitor-at/) [Lamar Odom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-odom/) > [Sports have always been a huge part of my life and my conversations. It is a thrill and an honor to be a part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-sanders/sports-have-always-been-a-huge-part-of-my-life-and-my-conversations/) [Summer Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/summer-sanders/) > [Business is always a struggle. There are always obstacles and competitors. There is never an open road, except the wide road that leads to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kirubi/business-is-always-a-struggle-there-are-always-obstacles-and/) Chris Kirubi > [Every coercive monopoly was created by government intervention into the economy: by special privileges, such as franchises or subsidies, which closed the entry of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/every-coercive-monopoly-was-created-by-government-intervention-into/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [As they grow, companies saturate their markets, become more complex and difficult to manage, and face larger and more entrenched competitors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/as-they-grow-companies-saturate-their-markets-become-more-complex-and/) [Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/) > [If you want to gain market share at your competitor's expense - look for a customer that's suffering from too much complexity and simplify…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cohan/if-you-want-to-gain-market-share-at-your-competitor-s-expense-look/) Peter Cohan > [I learn from all our major competitors, whether they're in or out of the U.S. Wells Fargo is very actively, very aggressively, and very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/i-learn-from-all-our-major-competitors-whether-they-re-in-or-out-of/) [Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/) > [Many manufacturers secretly question whether advertising really sells their product, but are vaguely afraid that their competitors might steal a march on them if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/many-manufacturers-secretly-question-whether-advertising-really-sells/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [I've got to know my strength and weaknesses and the same for my competitors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-buchanan/i-ve-got-to-know-my-strength-and-weaknesses-and-the-same-for-my/) [Caroline Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-buchanan/) > [As a competitor and an athlete, you love that you get to go back and challenge someone, especially the world champs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-romo/as-a-competitor-and-an-athlete-you-love-that-you-get-to-go-back-and/) [Tony Romo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-romo/) > [We can never have too much preparation and training. We must be a strong competitor. We must adhere staunchly to the basic principle that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-bunche/we-can-never-have-too-much-preparation-and-training-we-must-be-a/) [Ralph Bunche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-bunche/) > [Even in the face of massive competition, don't think about the competition. Literally don't think about them. Every time you're in a meeting and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mccue/even-in-the-face-of-massive-competition-don-t-think-about-the/) [Mike McCue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mccue/) > [In the United States businessmen often do not trust their colleagues. If you trust your colleague today, he may be your competitor tomorrow, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akio-morita/in-the-united-states-businessmen-often-do-not-trust-their-colleagues/) [Akio Morita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akio-morita/) > [We're not competitor obsessed, we're customer obsessed. We start with the customer and we work backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/we-re-not-competitor-obsessed-we-re-customer-obsessed-we-start-with/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) Browse all 613 Competitors quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Any corporate policy and plan which is typical of the industry is doomed to mediocrity. 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