Everyone likes to win. Winning brings happiness and rewards us for keeping doing our best, reaching the pinnacle of the genre, and being that bright star.
The winning concept itself isn't an issue. It encourages innovation, focuses on outcomes and results, and pushes the limits. Because the systems are in place to let people win, we see great businesses that changed the way we live, brilliant leaders who changed how we see ourselves, each other, and the world, and athletes who push human physical and mental limits to another level.
But when winning has become a culture, it challenges interpersonal relationships, people's well-being, and the environment we want to see and be in.
The winning culture brings competition (one up and one down) instead of collaboration, individual results instead of interdependence, and power over instead of power with. In this environment, people spend tremendous energy and time avoiding losing instead of exploring what's possible. People fear being viewed as incompetent instead of focusing on what truly matters. We run harder to prove self-worth instead of holding space both inside and out for partnership and collective sustainability.
It's not winning that creates problems, but the challenges of the culture. Until we learn to see them, it's nearly impossible to make a change.
