"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!
About the Author...
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Gary Lockwood is Your Business Coach.
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Office: (800) 272-1575 (USA) * Fax: (815) 361-3041
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