Dr Brian O Reuben
When a new manager took over at Parker Pen decades ago, he asked his team a question that would change the company’s future:
“Who is our biggest competitor?”
The team gave all the expected answers — other pen manufacturers, pencils, maybe even typewriters.
But the manager shook his head and replied,
“Our real competitor is the Ronson cigarette lighter.”
Everyone was stunned. What does a lighter have to do with a pen?
The answer: Everything.
People weren’t just buying Parker Pens to write. They were buying them as gifts — elegant, meaningful tokens of appreciation. The Ronson lighter was competing not in function, but in purpose.
This story holds a powerful lesson — not just for business leaders, but for government ministers navigating the unpredictable waters of modern governance. In a world of shifting alliances, blurred national boundaries, and global competition for talent, capital, and influence, clarity of purpose is your sharpest tool.
The Minister’s Real Marketplace
Many ministers see their role in narrow terms: a Minister of Education thinks about schools. A Minister of Transport focuses on roads. A Minister of Trade attends business forums.
But these are functions, not strategic outcomes.
Just like the Parker Pen team thought they were in the “pen business,” ministers often think they are in the “policy business.” But in today’s world, your real “market” isn’t defined by your title — it’s defined by the value you create in a complex and fast-moving system.
Let’s look at a few examples:
- A Minister of Health is not just managing hospitals — they’re competing for investor confidence, regional stability, and national productivity.
- A Minister of Education is not just building classrooms — they’re shaping workforce competitiveness in a global economy.
- A Minister of Agriculture is not just growing food — they’re influencing trade balances, food security, and political stability.
The modern minister is competing on a global stage — whether they realize it or not.
Competing in a World of Shifting Alliances
In the past, governments competed mostly on military strength or economic scale. Today, alliances are formed through mutual interest, shared technology, market access, influence, and trust.
Africa trades more with China today than with Europe. The Middle East partners with tech firms more than tanks. ASEAN nations are aligning with whoever helps them digitize fastest. In this world:
- Alliances can change overnight.
- Power is fluid, not fixed.
- Reputation is a currency.
This means that ministers are no longer just domestic administrators — they are strategic diplomats. The world is watching their policies, priorities, and even personalities.
What Does This Competition Look Like in Practice?
Let’s break it down:
1. Talent and Investment Are Borderless
Countries are now competing like companies — trying to attract the best minds, the biggest investors, and the most attention.
If you’re a Minister of Innovation or Finance, for example, your competitor isn’t just another agency at home — it’s Singapore, Estonia, or Rwanda.
If your investment laws are complex, your digital services are slow, or your policies are unclear — the capital will go elsewhere. The alliance will shift. The opportunity will vanish.
Clarity and execution win. Titles don’t.
2. Narrative is Strategy
Perception drives investment. Ministers must now think like storytellers.
What story is your ministry telling the world?
What impression does your country leave after every trade summit or climate negotiation?
Parker Pens succeeded not just because of their product — but because of the story they told: elegant, timeless, meaningful.
As a minister, your policy needs a narrative. Is your country:
- Open for innovation?
- Committed to long-term stability?
- Serious about infrastructure and green growth?
The right narrative can win partnerships. The wrong one can cost you influence.
3. You’re Competing With Your Neighbours
A West African Minister of Trade isn’t just competing internally. They’re competing with Ghana, Kenya, Morocco — even Vietnam.
If you offer the same investment incentives as others, but lack policy certainty or infrastructure, you lose.
If you deliver the same speeches, but can’t show measurable results, the alliance shifts — away from you.
Execution becomes your competitive advantage.
So, How Should Ministers Compete?
Let’s move from insight to instruction. Here’s how ministers can lead strategically in this new world:
1. Redefine the Mission
Stop asking “What is my department responsible for?”
Start asking:
“What value are we here to create in a global context?”
That simple shift — from internal function to external value — changes everything.
A Minister of Education should ask:
“What will make our graduates globally competitive?”
A Minister of Youth should ask:
“How do we position our youth as a global innovation force?”
A Minister of Information should ask:
“How do we shape the nation’s narrative to attract talent and trust?”
2. Build Global Awareness into Every Policy
Ministers must become geopolitical readers — not just national planners.
What trade deals are reshaping regional influence?
What tech trends could leapfrog your systems?
What global crises (like pandemics or wars) are redefining resource flows?
Understanding where the world is heading allows you to position your nation or region not as a follower, but as a relevant partner.
3. Embrace Agility, Not Bureaucracy
Ministers must operate like entrepreneurs:
- Test ideas fast
- Learn from failure
- Partner across sectors
Long, rigid processes no longer work in a world that rewards speed and adaptability.
In a competitive alliance system, countries that act fast — with clarity — attract deals, talent, and influence.
4. Communicate Like a Leader, Not a Manager
You’re not just speaking to your citizens. You’re speaking to:
- Foreign investors
- Multilateral partners
- Diaspora networks
- Global media
Your words, tone, and vision signal who you are aligned with — and who will align with you.
Be clear. Be bold. Be consistent.
Final Thoughts: The Purpose Defines the Play
Just like Parker Pens realized they weren’t in the pen business — but the gift business — today’s government ministers must realize they are not in the ministry business.
They are in the impact business, the influence business, the nation-building business — and all of it is increasingly global.
Your biggest competitor may not be another official.
It might be a shifting alliance, a faster neighbor, or even public mistrust.
And your greatest opportunity may come when you redefine your purpose — not just your policy.
That is what strategy is really about:
Clarity. Choice. Execution.
And that’s why I wrote my new book:
Strategy: Clarity, Choice and Execution in a Broken Business World
Pre-order here: www.brianoreuben.com/strategy
If you are leading in government today, this is your time to think bigger, choose sharper, and compete smarter.
Because in this new world, titles don’t win. Strategy does.
Dr Brian O Reuben is the Executive Chairman of the Sixteenth Council and Special Envoy on European Transformation and Global Coherence
