Since professional firms sell skill, talent, knowledge, and ability, it follows that any firm that can out-perform its competition in building and creating skills will gain a significant competitive advantage.

The need to be good at creating new skills is often overlooked. Most firms recruit from the same talent pool as their major competitors, and all begin with similar raw material – the bright, entry-level professional.

Competitive advantage does not come from an ability to hire better people than your competitors do, but from a superior ability to develop them.

– David H. Maister, True Professionalism