Ultimately, focusing on the competition is unsatisfying

Where should we really focus most of our attention? On matching or beating competitors, or on creating more value for customers and partners?

It just wasn't as fun as I thought it would be.

Pretty much my whole life, 25 years of it spent in the great state of Michigan, I've been a Michigan State Spartan fan. (Now I'm an alum, too.) The rap on Spartans is that they are obsessed with the Wolverines. Is there some truth to it? Absolutely. It's human nature to measure yourself relative to the competition.

The University of Michigan has produced college football's most consistent winner for nearly 40 years. Every year, it was the same: pound the ball, play defense, get to the Rose Bowl or darn close. They never ever had a losing season, and my Spartans played second fiddle the vast majority of the time.

And then last year the wheels completely came off for Michigan.

The school ditched its proud tradition, hired an outsider with an ill-fitting offense and promptly went 3-9. I should have been elated. And I was, when I got to see MSU get its first victory in Ann Arbor since 1990.

But watching Michigan fall on its face wasn't all that enjoyable, really. Watching MSU build its program with a smart and hard nosed brand of football was the real joy. Getting -- play smart football, win tough -- watching it build value for the fans and alumni who have suffered for so long -- was the real joy. Watching MSU carve out its own identity as a hard-nosed team -- it's brand image -- was much more satisfying.