Competitive Edge Seekers Gifts

'I can't promise miracles, but the lung-enhancement surgery should cut, oh, I'd say two or three minutes off your time in the mile.'

"Looks like we found the issue."

"Marshall, somewhere out there, just waiting for us, is a loophole in the system."

'You could be a constant inspiration for us to come up with a plan to get a leg up on our competition...you're hired!'

How leaders fail

'Oh, and I suppose I'm the only one who's ever heard it's a 'dog eat dog world'?'

"...but the big question is, does the competition know that we don't know what we don't know?"

'And finally, there is the universal solution.'

'Maybe we should sign him before the MVP award is announced.'

"I'm Necessity and this is my son, Invention."

"No, I'm not really a CEO. I just like to keep up with the Joneses."

"At least we are consistently inconsistent."

Innovation & Calculation

"I think we should try something a little simpler."

"Things got heated with the Morgans. I may have wagered our car. You're up."

"If we can't find the way forward, let's find the way back."

"If the weather stays good, we could end up in a very prestigious 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon."

"I hope you're good, Charlie. I've only played a couple of times."

'We need a product line that will stimulate our profit line.'

'Maybe we need new profit charts?'

"Well, I'm the company sports champion! During the lunch break I ate more hamburgers than any other colleague!"

Foxhole - digging robot

I want a car that says 'I've arrived' but didn't use too much gas getting there.

Yale makes better lock than rival Harvard.

I have plenty of work harder bees. Get me more work smarter bees.

'I would like to see a little less adventure in this business venture.'

A convenient attack of swine flu...

"...and, if your idea is so imaginative, innovative and original, why aren't our competitors doing it?"

"Here's the remote to your smart home. It's big, but the good news is you'll never lose it."

'Unfortunately, we were a little off-target again this quarter.'

'We're looking for bold, innovative strategies to pretty much maintain the status quo.'

"Can you keep a secret, Fred? The truth is, I've never had a clue what curve it is I'm supposed to stay ahead of!"

"Or should it be scrum or kanban???"

'After months of analysing, we found out how to stop your downgoing profits: just find more customers who want to buy your products.'

"And for my next trick, an evidence-based strategy!"