Iron Sharpens Iron: The Benefits of Competitors Coming Together
“Faster, Higher, Stronger — Together.” – Olympics motto
Summer or winter, I love the Olympics. There is the competition and artistry, of course, along with the incredible athlete stories that NBC shares with worldwide viewers every two years. But, as the Olympics motto reminds us, the games demonstrate that competitors can come together across political, cultural, and economic differences. And so can the world.
I mean: would you see Andrea Bocelli and Mariah Carey share a stage anywhere else? Probably not, but there they were at the 2026 Olympics Opening Ceremony in Turin, Italy.
As I write this article, the team at MSCI is making last-minute preparations for another coming together: MSCI’s 2026 Steel Conference and Annual Meeting of Members. While the scale of our event will be just a tiny bit smaller than the Olympics, I hope the spirit of the games will hold true: member companies compete but, with MSCI as the convener, they are stronger — together.
Why Community Matters to Businesses
In January 2020, just before the world shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Harvard Business Review (HBR) explored how being part of a community helps businesses. I will get into the specific benefits of MSCI membership below — the actual products and services that our members depend on in order to drive success — but it is important to remind readers that the benefits of community are not always so concrete.
“While communities generate tangible value for businesses — such as content, events, online advocacy and marketing, technology production, customer support, and education — it is the intangible value that members derive from the experience that makes these environments truly ‘sticky,’” writers Jeffrey Bussgang and Jono Bacon explained. “Human beings are fundamentally social animals. Behavioral economics and psychological research have taught us that we fundamentally crave a sense of connectedness, belonging, mission, and meaning, particularly when performing our work. … Communities deliver these benefits, creating a sense of shared accountability and a set of values while preserving individual autonomy.”
The article explored how firms like Salesforce and Harley Davidson have established localized communities that support and promote their brand, but most companies do not have the financial resources to execute such a strategy.
Trade associations often do.
“Trade associations provide insider insights, keeping their members informed about market trends, regulatory updates, and industry benchmarks,” Membership World™ has explained. “These perks are not just nice to have — they are gamechangers that can give you the edge in a competitive market. Imagine having access to cutting-edge research, expert analysis, and a network of peers willing to share their experiences. This is the value trade associations bring.”
One of the chief benefits of joining a trade association is networking at industry events. Meeting face to face deepens customer and supplier relationships, and conferences also offer a chance to explore industry trends and innovations, generate new leads, and hear from leadership and subject matter experts.
MSCI offers incredible national, regional, and local networking opportunities, but that is not all it offers.
The Specific Benefits of The MSCI Community
It is easy to assume that building a strong community is only about being together — sharing a round of golf or a meal or rooting for the same team during NCAA men’s and women’s March Madness games.
MSCI’s mission to build community extends far beyond the type of networking that exists at our Steel Conference, Safety Summit, Economic Summit, and Aluminum Conference. Like the Olympic athletes we watched in Italy, our member company competitors come together to elevate their performance. They submit data to our Metals Activity Report and annual Safety Survey (which will launch later this spring) to give important insight into industry performance; they support our scholarship program for the children of industrial metals employees; and they share market insight on our regular CEO Huddles.
Another benefit of membership in the MSCI community is access to our knowledge and learning programs. “Trade association membership offers a practical way to invest in people without building every development program internally,” Women in Manufacturing explained earlier this year. “Shared learning, discounted programming, and scalable resources help organizations extend learning opportunities across teams. Over time, organizations see returns through stronger teams, leadership readiness, and more effective collaboration — making association membership a sound business decision.”
Gallup has data to back up that statement. The polling firm found 59 percent of chief human resource officers say one of their company’s top struggles is offering upskilling opportunities.
In a dynamic world, that struggle is one that must be addressed. Gallup cited research from Lightcast that found 32 percent of the skills required for the average job changed between 2021 and 2024. Research from the World Economic Forum estimated 59 percent of the global workforce will need to upskill by 2030. Industrial metals companies that are not enrolling their employees in MSCI’s knowledge and learning programs risk falling behind.
For more insight into how our community partners for progress, I hope you will check out MSCI’s Annual Report.
As you read the report and contemplate how you can increase your engagement in our community this year, I hope you also will keep in mind these words from the great football coach Vince Lombardi: “Individual commitment to a group effort — that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” And so goes MSCI…