Don’t be a one hit wonder

Mia Hamm, the now retired American soccer player, once said “it’s more difficult to stay on top than to get there.” This is a universal truth that can be applied to many walks of life. Take music, for example – there are few legends, such as Queen, who have stood the test of time, remaining popular and continuing their success with a series of comeback tours. In contrast, however, the music industry is filled with one hit wonders – how many people can name another song by Carly Rae Jepson, the artist that released ‘Call me Maybe’ back in 2012?

Equally in sport, there are many players that rise to the top of their game, only to fall soon after. In order to keep on winning, individuals and teams need to stay motivated, work hard and constantly strive to achieve more. Lewis Hamilton’s recent win, clinching his second drivers’ world championship by constantly pushing himself and striving to maintain his competitive edge, is living proof of this theory.

So what does that mean for business? There are plenty of examples of businesses that have launched a ‘halo’ product or solution, which has had a huge impact on the market and catapulted the brand – and its leaders – to success. However, maintaining that success is where the difficulty lies. If businesses want to stay on top they must avoid complacency and ensure that they continue to innovate and evolve, rather than resting on their laurels.

This is something I try to keep front of mind at all times – and something that has become particularly relevant in the past twelve months. This time last year, we were named a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Global Network Service Providers for the very first time. After achieving this accolade, we wanted to ensure that we maintained our position, and we’re pleased to announce that one year on, we have retained this spot.

Doing so has been no mean feat. We challenge all of our employees to have a start-up mentality, looking to opportunities in the market to ensure we stay ahead by delivering cutting edge, up-to-date and relevant products and services to our customers. We’ve launched new offerings, such as IZO™, the cloud enablement platform that helps us to keep pace with the demands of our customers, making it simple for companies of any size to connect to the cloud.

Lewis Hamilton once said of his incredible sporting career “I don’t aspire to be like other drivers – I aspire to be unique”. This attitude is, in many ways, exemplary for businesses. Companies big and small must remember that it’s no good to sit back and do what has already worked or already been done. The next innovation is always just around the corner and the key to success is making sure it’s you – not your competitors – that are producing state-of-the-art technology, if you want to stay on top.

Watch my message to all our stakeholders regarding the news that the company has been positioned as a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Network Services, Global for the second year in a row.

Tata Communications was the Official Connectivity Provider of Formula 1® between 2012 and 2019. Tata Communications was also the Official Managed Connectivity Supplier to Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, and Official Digital Transformation Partner to ROKiT Williams Racing until the end of the 2019 season.