A year ago, I competed in my first pickleball tournament.

A year ago, I competed in my first pickleball tournament.

I started at a 3.5 intermediate level and got smoked.

With practice and coaching, I climbed my way up.

I won at 3.5, then 4.0, and reached the 4.5 advanced level.

At a 4.5 tournament, I faced someone I had beaten at 3.5 and 4.0.

We were apparently moving up at a similar trajectory.

I was confident I’d win again.

But this time, they won.

It hit me hard.

I thought I was doing everything right.

Studying game film.

Regular practice.

Coaching.

I failed to recognize the possibility that they may’ve been pushing even harder.

It was my real-life brush with the Red Queen Effect.

The reference comes from “Through the Looking-Glass” by Lewis Carroll.

It’s where Alice finds herself running alongside the Red Queen.

She urges Alice to run faster.

However, Alice notices that no matter how fast they run, their surroundings don’t change.

“Well, in our country,” said Alice, still panting a little, “you’d generally get to somewhere else—if you run very fast for a long time, as we’ve been doing.”

If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!”

It’s no different in business.

Getting ahead means constantly evolving to ensure survival and success.

Talent.

Innovation.

Technology.

Differentiation.

Sales and marketing.

Like pickleball taught me, moving fast isn’t enough if your rivals are moving faster.

It’s easy to think you’re doing enough, but often, that’s not the case.

Your edge today might be gone tomorrow.

However, there’s a flip side.

Are you the challenger?

If you evolve faster than your opponents, you can overtake them.

I’ve taken this to heart.

On the pickleball court, I’m doubling down on practice and coaching.

In the boardroom, we’re making strategic investments in growth.

Always remember the Red Queen Effect.

It takes all the running you can, to keep in the same place.