We are living in times where there’s nothing one can do without completion. Everywhere you go there is competition. Whether you are looking for a job, there’s someone else who also needs it. Whether it’s a marriage partner you are seeking, there’s someone out there determined to win his/her heart before you. If you are in business, you have other people targeting the same customers. 

If you have a job, you are not sure tomorrow you will still be having it because there are other people eyeing the same job. So you have to make yourself irreplaceable so that when they are looking for the next person to sack, it won’t be you. 

In short, it’s now survival of the fittest. No matter what you are doing, you have to either challenge your competitors or stand a risk of being swallowed by them. It’s therefore important that we appreciate competition as something positive and then work towards standing out of the crown by outshining our competitors.

So how do you stand out amidst a sea of people? What extra mile do you take to attract the attention of others? How can you challenge all workmates eyeing your position? How do you exert the power of influence so that you become irresistible? How do you outcompete copycats who stole your business idea and are now competing with you? 

I wish there was a clear-cut answer. Well, the truth is you have to learn several success habits such as good customer care, the art of communication, record-keeping, marketing yourself and so on so as to beat others in competition. Today I will concentrate on one on these habits and that is research. 

There is need to have a consistent source of information. You need information about new opportunities, about future challenges, about your customers, and so on. You need to know what your competitors are doing so that you can use your creativity to do more. No ignorant person leads; we must keep our minds updated.

You can get information through the people you interact with, the literature you read, the TV programmes you watch, the seminars you attend or the places you go to. If you want to lead, avoid hanging around people who add you no useful information or ideas. We must make sure our minds are continuously growing.

Some people make fools of themselves when they think they know and so refuse to look for new information. Have you ever been in a group of people discussing something which everyone is expected to be knowing only for someone to open their mouth and ignorantly speak and everyone turns to see who said that? I have never forgotten this young man who was asked in a job interview: "Is Julius Nyerere dead or alive?” He enthusiastically answered: "Of course he is alive and he’s the current president of South Africa!”

Robert Bake Tumuhaise is the MD World of Inspiration & Founder, Authors’ Forum.