Battles Won on a Higher Level

I have to admit that like many of you…I find myself a fanatic when it comes to rooting for a sports team, or the next potential American Idol or The Voice winner. I am aware that the difference between the winner and loser can certainly be a large gap…but most of the time, its only inches and yards or 1 to 2 points. Why did U.S. auto manufacturers consistently lose market share to the Japanese throughout the 1980’s (1)? Why is the biogenetics industry already shifting away from the United States? What do players like Lebron James, Serena Williams, Michael Jordan, Carl Lewis, Bill Russell, Clayton Kershaw, Tom Brady, Mia Hamm and countless other players have in common (2)? Well obviously they hate to lose right? But even beyond that it comes down to their strategy, mindset, and ability to execute at the highest level consistently. I know…I know…it’s a lot of why questions.

The point is whether you are referring to business or life there is a winner’s strategy and a loser’s strategy. Others may refer to strategy as mindset…because in reality unless your strategy becomes your mindset then you will not carry out the necessary steps to achieve your goal, it’s as simple as that.

According to Steve Canal, marketing guru and author of the Mind of a Winner, says, “We all are good at something, but a winning mindset understands that the difference between making it a hobby or a business is the discipline and work you put behind it” (2).

Are you so confident in your talent that you fail to provide the necessary work ethic to go to the next level? You see…there are competitors at every level who are great. Champions find a way to elevate their game to the next level EVEN among the greats…that is what makes them Champions. That is also what makes everyone else either respect and admire them or loath them…either way they are still Champions. Also, you want to build your grit...which is understood as the combination of passion and perseverance for a unique, long-term goal (2). When we think about a woman laboring for 9 months to birth a child…television has desensitized us to the reality of the labor pains. The same is applicable for business. Most people want the glamour of standing on the big stage of life and receiving the awards, and accolades but few people want to spend time dealing with the grind and the struggle, and the seemingly endless adversity.

Les Brown a famous motivational speaker once said in a famous speech, “When my kids would get calls from creditors, they would say my daddy says he’s not home…” he would later add, “poverty sucks I tell you!”

Les would use humor but he was very honest and open about the struggles that he went through launching his motivational company including sleeping at his office and being embarrassed when the management company found out…and reminded him that it was only a place to conduct business and that he could not live there. Also, you need to generate momentum with small steps (2).

According to J.C. Larreche, the Alfred H Heineken professor of marketing, “Momentum leaders are not lucky---they are smart. They have discovered the source of momentum and, with it, the beginnings of a smarter way to exceptional growth (2).”

The small waves or gains in life should not be taken for granted. You have to acknowledge forward movement in your business, project, relationship, or even academic goals. This will propel you towards even higher levels of achievement which is what everyone is striving towards.

Finally, trust your vision (2). Having a winning mentality and optimism sometimes means having tunnel vision and not thinking about everyone else’s opinion of what you are doing (2). The unshakable trust and faith in what you are doing means pushing forward even if the marketing data does not affirm what you know deep down in your soul is true about your product or service. If you truly believe that what you have to offer the market is what is needed then you must persevere until you get a YES. Perseverance until you get a YES is one of the keys of a winner’s mindset and a key to winning the Battle at the highest level.

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