The Second Mile

Competition is a fact of life. In our capitalist, free-market society and culture it is often expressed with adversarial overtones and introduced at an early age. Well-meaning parents battle it out with each other to give their “brilliant” Tommy or Susie a head start on their preschool classmates by enrolling him or her in the best school or buying the latest educational game to give them an edge. Sports at every age is no longer “fun”, instead it is filled with aggressive participants, angry parents, and coaches willing to berate the performance of even the best players.

During tough economic times competition becomes more intense in business as well. Prices are often slashed, contracts bid at below-market value, and employees are laid off in large numbers to boost sagging stock prices. The leadership models that often emerge as heroes are those willing to demonstrate a ruthless will to win at all costs. In many respects we are addicted to this style of competitive management and willingly engage in these practices at work and in our personal lives.

Perhaps that is why the advice of Jesus in Matthew 5:40-41 is so compelling. Spoken in the larger context of what we know as “The Beatitudes” he says, “And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” Not exactly a prescription for creating a competitive advantage, or is it?

The business model most of us use is competing for customers and clients by creating the most transactions through a variety of marketing and advertising techniques – doing what we can to meet expectations in an efficient way. But the leadership advice of Jesus suggests that building a relationship by exceeding the expectations of our customers is a far better solution. Instead of cutting corners and looking for ways to compete with others for the business, the “second mile” suggests putting others ahead of ourselves – employees, customers, and vendors.

The Biblical text offers no evidence of the outcomes we can expect by shifting from competing to serving others. Maybe that is because few people have the courage to live and do business with this principle in mind. One company that comes to mind for me is Chick-Fil-A, a privately-held family business managed with Christian values in the tough, competitive fast food market. They are always looking for ways to exceed customer expectations and practice the “second mile” principle in all of their business relationships. Their success has come from a willingness to do the right things and to create innovative products and exceptional interactions with their loyal customer base.

Can we as leaders imagine a world where “second mile” thinking permeates the workplace? How would it transform the way we treat colleagues and direct reports? What changes would take place in our customer relationships and how we serve them? Would we find ourselves collaborating with other businesses (perhaps even our competition) to better serve the community?

In a world that has been bloodied by the tyranny of competition, where sports have lost the pure joy of play, and where battlefield language is a metaphor for business, we need a different approach. Going the second mile recognizes the intricate connections we all share and invites us to look for solutions that help everyone to win. It may also become your opportunity to stand out from the crowd.