Is Focus the New Competitive Advantage?

Rob May, the Business Pundit, raises an extremely interesting question in his entry: "Is Concentration the New Competitive Advantage?"

Rob's premise?

• Will the successful companies (and employees) of the future be the ones that can do the hard things?
• The development of sustainable competitive advantage often requires that you be a contrarian. You go where other people aren't. You don't follow the masses. You let other companies move on from fad to fad while you question each "new thing" and focus on boring ideas like execution. Don't get distracted. Build a culture of concentration.

BOTTOMLINE: "Concentration, focus, execution, the ability to tune out the fluff - that will be the competitive advantage of the future." The only thing I'm not agreeing with is his statement: "Don't expect to see any business books to help you with this." Take a look at Six Disciplines for Excellence. It focuses on execution - which, essentially is - the art of concentration.