Dusting off your high school yearbook may be the last thing you want to do this fine day, but its faded pages hold clues to entrepreneurial gold. Seriously.

Whether you look back on them as the glory days or the worst four years of your life, during that time high school taught you an essential rule of business: If you want to be a leader, you’ve got to have the “EST.” You’ve got to be the strongEST athlete, the smartEST student, the perkiEST cheerleader, or even the weirdEST weirdo.

Think about it. The people you recognize right away at your high school reunion had the EST. They were unforgettable. They were influential. They were leaders. Even if they were the king of the nerds, they were leaders.  The people you can’t place even when you’re staring right at their nametag never even got close to having the EST.

Adding EST to the word that defines your business ensures you’re company stands out in the crowd. For example, your company could provide the fastest service, the easiest purchasing process, the happiest customer service representatives. You could also excel by being the slowest (think BBQ ribs) or the rudest (think Dick’s Last Resort) or the silliest (think circus clowns. . . or American Idol hopefuls).

Whatever your niche, bump it up. Be the EST. Without it, you’re just another business with a “great” idea. Heck, even if you’ve done everything else right, you’re not going to be a category (niche) leader until you become the EST.

The status quo is boring and the fringe gets all of the attention. So if you want to be ignored, follow the pack. If you want to be voted most likely to succeed, be the EST.