While I’m not a big New England Patriots fan, you have to respect Tom Brady. This year, he led the AFC in passer rating, yards per attempt, and passing yards per game, leading his team to 11 wins on 12 starts…yet he’s the NFL’s oldest starting player.

This is not an accident. Brady follows an extreme practice, diet, and wellness regimen. He focuses obsessively on his own performance which is why he’s the only quarterback whose numbers have improved with age. His singular focus makes him a force to be respected.

And that’s exactly what’s demanded in this ever changing business. There can be no resting on laurels; the great things we’ve done in the past break no new ground for us. Instead, every day we must build our legacy. Every day, we either add to or subtract from our market reputation.

Truly elevating above the fray today requires differentiation and specialization, not to mention an obsessive focus on delivering those specialties. We must know our competition and what they do better than us. We must know the state of the art or preferably, create it. Simply put, we must own our specialties by putting in the time, effort, and focus required of a champion. You don’t expect greatness, you earn it.

And when you do, great things happen.