Winners and Losers

Winners and Losers

"She's a winner!" He's a real loser". We frequently hear people
labeled as winners or losers. We seem to instinctively know the
difference.

Many years ago, I saved a poem that discusses the difference between
winners and losers. I don't know who wrote it, but I'll tip my hat to
her or him, because the poem captured the essence of character that
distinguishes winners from losers. I'll share it with you now with my
thoughts.

BE A WINNER!

Right here in the title is an acknowledgment of what most people want.
To be a winner. To feel like a winner. With all the talk of win- win
thinking, we still want to be a winner and to enjoy the positive
emotions that accompany being a winner.

Winners make commitments

Losers make promises

While some people do treat their promises as commitments, many make
empty promises knowing that they may not actually perform. The meaning
of this stanza is clear; When winners make a commitment, they see it
through to completion. You can count on a winner to come through.

Winners go through a problem

Losers go around it, never get past it

This little-known secret of winners is powerful. When encountering a
problem, don't just work around it this one time. Why not over-
respond? Solve the problem then keep going to solve the source of the
problem. Fix it for good, not just for now.

Winners say, "Let's find out"

Losers say, "Nobody knows"

An insatiable curiosity allows winners to explore the source of
opportunities as well as the source of problems. This makes it more
likely that the winner will develop even more opportunities while
solving the source of recurring problems. It also turns out that
genuine curiosity about other people is one of the secrets to
increasing sales, improving customer service and strengthening
relationships.

Winners always have a plan

Losers always have an excuse

Have you noticed that successful people seem to know where they're
going and what they want? It's no coincidence that winners have a
plan. The process of thinking through the issue of what's important,
allows the winners to keep a clear vision of the future and outline a
path to get there. They routinely examine their mission by asking
"where am I going with this", and "how will I accomplish my goals?"

Winners say "There's a better way"

Losers say, "It's the way it's always been done"

Continuous improvement is one of the hallmarks of successful people.
Their motto is "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing better". Losers
just keep on doing the same old things yet they expect different
results.

Winners are always involved in the answer

Losers are always part of the problem

Winners are not whiners. Instead of complaining about a problem (or
just sitting there being part of the problem), winners jump in looking
for a solution. No blame, no pointing fingers, no belly- aching. Just
fix it and move on.

Winners know there is still much to learn

Losers want to be considered an expert before knowing how little is known

We've all encountered people who want to be "the expert", even though
their expertise is out-of-date, incomplete, or overestimated. You
won't find them in classes, in the library or in deep debate. Winners
understand that knowledge has a short shelf-life. Winners also
appreciate that, to be valuable to clients, they must constantly
explore the limits of their knowledge.

Winners learn from their mistakes

Losers learn only not to make mistakes by not trying anything different

Winners are opportunistic about learning from daily experiences. All
of us have hundreds of experiences each day that could be valuable
learning opportunities. Losers ignore them and surf the shallow
surface of their knowledge. Winners understand that learning in
today's fast-paced and ever- changing environment can't be left to
chance. Successful people make a conscious effort to actively seek new
ideas, innovation and growth.

There you have it. Is this the complete list of the characteristics of
successful people? Surely not. There are as many types of winners as
there are winners. To me, the poem addresses the fundamental qualities
of being a winner. It captures the spirit of open-mindness, strength
and compassion that makes winners and winning attractive.

Be a winner!