It is counterintuitive to think that if we work towards achieving an outcome by ‘playing not to lose’ that this works against us.
We strive to win by trying hard not to lose. Playing not to lose is a defensive game.
Our defensiveness often points to an unspoken assumption that something poses a risk to our identity.
Defensiveness is often a thought such as ‘I can’t trust others to do the job as well as I can’ or or ‘I won’t meet the expectations of a significant person and this means I am not enough.’
To change this, we need to take a look closely at our assumptions. What caused us to choose to decide that these assumptions were true for us?
Great leadership describes something beyond skills, capabilities and competence. ‘Greatness’ refers to qualities, not competencies.
The great news is everyone possesses these qualities and has an ability to access and connect to them.
Consequently, we need to learn to play to win, playing full out as if we have nothing to gain or lose. In doing so we produce breakthroughs in our leadership effectiveness and business performance.
So what now needs to happen for us all to have the courage – individually and collectively – to switch from playing to lose to playing to win?