Winning the ‘War of the Worlds’

by. Lisa Hochgraf

I read business articles all the time. So in those few minutes before I fall asleep at night, I often try tackling something different. Interestingly, my latest selection, the classic sci-fi story War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, had a great business message. (I’m going to tell you how it ends, so if you hate spoilers, read this post after you read the book.)

In the story, intelligent Martians invade Earth, landing outside London. Their “heat ray” weapon seems unstoppable by any of the Brits’ guns. But then, out of the blue, the Martians drop dead, overcome by the micro organisms that make Earthlings sick, but which our immune systems fight off.

In other words, the Earthlings got lucky. But what if the Martians hadn’t been toppled by the native germs? The book would have ended very differently.

The business moral of the story? Don’t leave winning against your competition to chance.

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