--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Core competence, as it is used by many…" description: "\"“Core competence, as it is used by many managers, is a dangerously inward-looking notion. Competitiveness is far more about doing what customers value ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/949/clayton-m-christensen-6841_management_core-competence-as-it-is-used-by-many-ma_1704732.jpg" --- # Core competence, as it is used by many managers, is a… ![“Core competence, as it is used by many managers, is a dangerously inward-looking notion. Competitiveness is far more about doing what customers value than doing what you think you’re good at. And staying competitive as the basis of competition shifts necessarily requires a willingness and ability…” quote by Clayton M. Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/949/clayton-m-christensen-6841_management_core-competence-as-it-is-used-by-many-ma_1704732.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/949/clayton-m-christensen-6841_management_core-competence-as-it-is-used-by-many-ma_1704732.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/949/clayton-m-christensen-6841_management_core-competence-as-it-is-used-by-many-ma_1704732.jpg) > ““Core competence, as it is used by many managers, is a dangerously inward-looking notion. Competitiveness is far more about doing what customers value than doing what you think you’re good at. And staying competitive as the basis of competition shifts necessarily requires a willingness and ability to learn new things rather than clinging hopefully to the sources of past glory. The challenge for incumbent companies is to rebuild their ships while at sea, rather than dismantling themselves plank by plank while someone else builds a new, faster boat with what they cast overboard as detritus.”” [Clayton M. Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-m-christensen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Relying on existing strengths can blind firms to customer needs; continuous learning and adaptation are essential for staying competitive. **In simple terms:** Don’t cling to past successes; keep learning. Key Takeaway Prioritize customer value and new skills. Themes innovation customer focus learning competition Mood strategic challenging Type business leadership When to use this quote - product development - market research - skill training - strategic pivots Key Concepts core competence strategic renewal organizational agility Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance leveraging strengths with exploring new opportunities? - What processes help your organization learn quickly? A Different Perspective Learning new things can be costly and risky for established firms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability To Learn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability-to-learn/) [Competitive Basis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competitive-basis-1186470/) [Competitiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competitiveness/) [Core Competence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/core-competence-1186468/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [New things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-things/) [Notion Competitiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/notion-competitiveness-1186469/) [Staying Competitive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/staying-competitive-429561/) ## Related quotes > [Core competence, as it is used by many managers, is a dangerously inward-looking notion. Competitiveness is far more about doing what customers value than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/core-competence-as-it-is-used-by-many-managers-is-a-dangerously-2/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [The notion of the competitiveness of countries, on the model of the competitiveness of companies, is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-wolf/the-notion-of-the-competitiveness-of-countries-on-the-model-of-the/) [Martin Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-wolf/) > [If you put on your business hat, you can't maintain competitiveness by staying at a competitive disadvantage. I mean, you just can't. The odds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-bresch/if-you-put-on-your-business-hat-you-can-t-maintain-competitiveness-by/) [Heather Bresch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-bresch/) > [It's always about staying competitive with myself... Popularity is something that may happen from time to time, and I don't trust it and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/it-s-always-about-staying-competitive-with-myself-popularity-is/) [Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/) > [“The secret to staying competitive is not necessarily in growing your business in the traditional sense, but in using technology to innovate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fast-company/the-secret-to-staying-competitive-is-not-necessarily-in-growing-your/) [Fast Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fast-company/) > [An important re-engineering principle is that companies should focus on their core competence and outsource everything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/an-important-re-engineering-principle-is-that-companies-should-focus/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [“Fewer than one in twenty security professionals has the core competence and the foundation knowledge to take a system all the way from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-northcutt/fewer-than-one-in-twenty-security-professionals-has-the-core/) [Stephen Northcutt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-northcutt/) > [“Every organisation, not just business, needs 1 core competence: Tactical execution”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dovale/every-organisation-not-just-business-needs-1-core-competence-tactical/) [Tony Dovale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dovale/) > [The less you 'think' you know, the greater your ability to learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/the-less-you-think-you-know-the-greater-your-ability-to-learn-and-grow/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [“What we know might actually mask what we don’t know and impede our ability to learn and perform. All”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/what-we-know-might-actually-mask-what-we-don-t-know-and-impede-our/) [Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/) > [We should always be learning. However, we must be careful not to set aside our faith in the process, because faith actually enhances our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-b-wirthlin/we-should-always-be-learning-however-we-must-be-careful-not-to-set/) [Joseph B. Wirthlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-b-wirthlin/) > [“The only sustainable competitive advantage is an organization's ability to learn faster than the competition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/the-only-sustainable-competitive-advantage-is-an-organization-s/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [ “Human beings, who are almost unique \[among animals\] in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-berkun/human-beings-who-are-almost-unique-among-animals-in-having-the/) [Scott Berkun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-berkun/) > [“What advice would you give to a smart, driven college student about to enter the “real world”? What advice should they ignore? Nobody really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/what-advice-would-you-give-to-a-smart-driven-college-student-about-to/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“Our schools will not improve if we continue to focus only on reading and mathematics while ignoring the other studies that are essential elements…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ravitch/our-schools-will-not-improve-if-we-continue-to-focus-only-on-reading/) [Diane Ravitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ravitch/) ## More by Clayton M. Christensen > [“Identifying disruptive footholds means connecting with specific jobs that people—your future customers—are trying to get done in their lives.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-m-christensen/identifying-disruptive-footholds-means-connecting-with-specific-jobs/) [Clayton M. Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-m-christensen/) > [“In the words of Andy Grove: “To understand a company’s strategy, look at what they actually do rather than what they say they will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-m-christensen/in-the-words-of-andy-grove-to-understand-a-company-s-strategy-look-at/) [Clayton M. Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-m-christensen/) > [The concept of disruption is about competitive response; it is not a theory of growth. It's adjacent to growth. But it's not about growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-m-christensen/the-concept-of-disruption-is-about-competitive-response-it-is-not-a/) [Clayton M. Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-m-christensen/) > [“disruptive technology should be framed as a marketing challenge, not a technological one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-m-christensen/disruptive-technology-should-be-framed-as-a-marketing-challenge-not-a/) [Clayton M. Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-m-christensen/) > [The only way all people can have the opportunity to choose or reject the gospel of Jesus Christ is for us, without judgment, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-m-christensen/the-only-way-all-people-can-have-the-opportunity-to-choose-or-reject/) [Clayton M. Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-m-christensen/) > [The dumb-manager theory of business problems just didn't hold water for me. There had to be a deeper reason why smart people would make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-m-christensen/the-dumb-manager-theory-of-business-problems-just-didn-t-hold-water/) [Clayton M. Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-m-christensen/) > [By doing what they must do to keep their margins strong and their stock price healthy, every company paves the way for its own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-m-christensen/by-doing-what-they-must-do-to-keep-their-margins-strong-and-their/) [Clayton M. Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-m-christensen/) > [Every city and town in America would be bankrupt if they kept their books the way private-sector companies keep their books - because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-m-christensen/every-city-and-town-in-america-would-be-bankrupt-if-they-kept-their/) [Clayton M. Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-m-christensen/) > [“the breakthrough researcher first discovers the fundamental causal mechanism behind the phenomena of success. This allows those who are looking for “an answer” to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-m-christensen/the-breakthrough-researcher-first-discovers-the-fundamental-causal/) [Clayton M. Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-m-christensen/) > [“In contrast, investing time and energy in your relationship with your spouse and children typically doesn’t offer that same immediate sense of achievement. Kids…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-m-christensen/in-contrast-investing-time-and-energy-in-your-relationship-with-your/) [Clayton M. Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-m-christensen/) > [In our personal lives, we have a lot of businesses going on. I have a profession, I'm a father, a spouse, a good member…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-m-christensen/in-our-personal-lives-we-have-a-lot-of-businesses-going-on-i-have-a/) [Clayton M. Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-m-christensen/) > [For 300 years, higher education was not disruptable because there was no technological core.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-m-christensen/for-300-years-higher-education-was-not-disruptable-because-there-was/) [Clayton M. Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-m-christensen/) > [“When commercializing disruptive technologies, they found or developed new markets that valued the attributes of the disruptive products, rather than search for a technological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-m-christensen/when-commercializing-disruptive-technologies-they-found-or-developed/) [Clayton M. Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-m-christensen/) > [“This is why theory can be so valuable: it can explain what will happen, even before you experience it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-m-christensen/this-is-why-theory-can-be-so-valuable-it-can-explain-what-will-happen/) [Clayton M. Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-m-christensen/) > [“In order to really find happiness, you need to continue looking for opportunities that you believe are meaningful, in which you will be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-m-christensen/in-order-to-really-find-happiness-you-need-to-continue-looking-for/) [Clayton M. Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-m-christensen/) [Explore all 96 Clayton M. Christensen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-m-christensen/) ## More Competitiveness quotes > [There are many examples of companies and countries that have improved their competitiveness and efficiency by adopting open source strategies. The creation of skills…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shuttleworth/there-are-many-examples-of-companies-and-countries-that-have-improved/) [Mark Shuttleworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shuttleworth/) > [If you put on your business hat, you can't maintain competitiveness by staying at a competitive disadvantage. I mean, you just can't. The odds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-bresch/if-you-put-on-your-business-hat-you-can-t-maintain-competitiveness-by/) [Heather Bresch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-bresch/) > [I think competitiveness is taken in a different way by different people. I'm not a yeller and a screamer, a jumper and a pusher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-duncan/i-think-competitiveness-is-taken-in-a-different-way-by-different/) [Tim Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-duncan/) > [The challenge always is can we sustain a high level of competitiveness?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-donovan/the-challenge-always-is-can-we-sustain-a-high-level-of-competitiveness/) [Billy Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-donovan/) > [A state-based regulatory system is quite burdensome. It allows price controls to create market distortions. It can hinder development of national products and can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/a-state-based-regulatory-system-is-quite-burdensome-it-allows-price/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [It is absolutely critical for competitiveness in the United States for us to really raise the bar in education, especially in math, in science,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/safra-a-catz/it-is-absolutely-critical-for-competitiveness-in-the-united-states/) [Safra A. Catz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/safra-a-catz/) > [You don't want to put competitiveness and emotion away, so you learn to play with it. You learn to use it for your team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grayson-allen/you-don-t-want-to-put-competitiveness-and-emotion-away-so-you-learn/) [Grayson Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grayson-allen/) > [Today's competitiveness, so much imposed from without, is exhausting, not exhilarating; is unending-a part of one's social life, one's solitude, one's sleep, one's sleeplessness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-kronenberger/today-s-competitiveness-so-much-imposed-from-without-is-exhausting/) [Louis Kronenberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-kronenberger/) > [Stop costly new regulations that would increase unemployment, raise consumer prices, and weaken the nation's global competitiveness with virtually no impact on global temperatures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/stop-costly-new-regulations-that-would-increase-unemployment-raise/) [Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/) > [the crucial disadvantage of aggression, competitiveness and skepticism as national characteristics is that these qualities cannot be turned off at five o'clock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-halsey/the-crucial-disadvantage-of-aggression-competitiveness-and-skepticism/) [Margaret Halsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-halsey/) > [When you work at 'The Daily Show,' you have to give 100 percent, or you're gone. The competitiveness and the minds that work in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-corddry/when-you-work-at-the-daily-show-you-have-to-give-100-percent-or-you/) [Nate Corddry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-corddry/) > [In Poland we still believe - and this certainly applies to my government - that greater competitiveness, and greater growth and savings are possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-tusk/in-poland-we-still-believe-and-this-certainly-applies-to-my/) [Donald Tusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-tusk/) > [Take young researchers, put them together in virtual seclusion, give them an unprecedented degree of freedom and turn up the pressure by fostering competitiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-watson/take-young-researchers-put-them-together-in-virtual-seclusion-give/) [James D. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-watson/) > [I try to have a very well-rounded group of friends that did a lot of different things and weren't just performers. Because I feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-jacobs/i-try-to-have-a-very-well-rounded-group-of-friends-that-did-a-lot-of/) [Gillian Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-jacobs/) > [So Europe needs to be competitive and we also need to be competitive if we wish to remain an interesting economic partner for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/so-europe-needs-to-be-competitive-and-we-also-need-to-be-competitive/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) [Browse all 217 Competitiveness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competitiveness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Core competence, as it is used by many managers, is a dangerously inward-looking notion. 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