ABSTRACT
This rule can be expressed another way: If you act defensively to protect a market position from an aggressive competitor, take the preliminary step of moving to the offensive. The alternatives-stalled by lack of ideas, immobilized by fear, standing still, or restrained by blurred imagination-can fester into severe problems. In all likelihood, your competitors feel no less anxiety when faced with similar choices: They must react or retreat. Thus begins a mental sparring game with choices vacillating from firm resolve to paralyzing fear. The essential point: If you are entangled in a tough competitive situation, it is in your best interest to develop a proactive posture, rather than to languish in indecision.
