Biz Tips: The Obsession With Being Number One
GROWTH:
The Obsession With Being Number One
And Why It’s Completely Meaningless
We are number one in the Southeast region of the Midwestern part of Northern Pleasantville. Great. Literally no one gives a sh*t. Not a single person. Because you are the only one. But you are going to use that for all its worth. How’s that working out for you so far?
You know, it’s not a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you call yourself number one, you won’t become number one. Chances are more likely that you won’t. Because you think it means something. And it doesn’t. Number one is completely meaningless.
Lists Based on Numbers (and the Hypocrisy)
You do know that almost everyone can claim to be number one in something, right? Have you ever seen the sorting capabilities of statistical columns? You can sort from highest to lowest. Lowest to highest. Sideways. Switch columns. Switch filters. Everyone is number one at some point. You’re not special just because you call yourself numero uno.
Personally, I don’t want to work with anyone who openly calls themselves number one at anything. Because I know it’s bullsh*t. A form of advertising that caters to those who only want the best. But wouldn’t the absolute best companies not have to tell anyone they are number one in anything?
When I was in real estate, Keller Williams used to claim to be number one in everything in my region. When I started working for them I was like, cool — this will help me. And many agents think it does help. But they don’t realize that number one to them is only based on quantity.
They were number one in total sales at some point. So I asked someone which company made the most sales per agent. They didn’t answer. Keller Williams had twice the agents, if not more, then the next biggest competitor. And five times some other agencies.
So the list was presented in a way to make it look good. And sure, they had the most sales. But they were using it in a way to deceive the public — as advertising. And that’s why everyone uses it, even when it’s technically true. And some people fall for it.
But it’s just a number. It doesn’t mean anything.
A Brief Number One Interlude
I was the captain of my high school basketball team. We won back-to-back State Prep championships while I was there. I expected a lot of myself my senior year. And so, as our early season home tournament started, I was pretty charged up.
I knocked down a three pointer early in the game, in front of our home crowd of around 500. As I relished my drained jumper I raised a finger to the sky. A number one finger. I don’t know why. We weren’t number one. The score was only like 7–2 at the time.
Was I anointing myself the best? For one triple? Or was I saying our team was dominant? I did it a couple more times before halftime. I still can’t really say why. Maybe because I thought being number one was the ultimate goal. Even if you weren’t actually number one in anything.
At halftime, one of our coaches sons pulled me aside. He was a sophomore at the time. He told me I looked like a complete a**clown by raising the number one finger and I should stop immediately because I was embarrassing myself.
For a second I thought to myself that he was the jacka**. He didn’t even play. But then it dawned on me that he had no reason to tell me unless it was true. Because we weren’t number one. I wasn’t number one in anything. Except being a complete imbecile in front of 500 people.
And I laid the number one finger to rest that day. As I should have.