Winning
There's a world of difference between winning at all costs and fostering a culture of sustainable success. The former breeds toxicity, burnout and ultimately failure, whilst the latter creates an environment where people genuinely thrive.
This was brought home to me last week when I spent the morning at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Spain. Of course, the stadium is full of history, photographs, memorabilia and trophies. Yet, the thing that always stands out most to me when I’m in these kinds of environments are the stories behind the artifacts. And they speak to the lengths that employees go to to build a strong culture on which continual success can be achieved.
In my 10 years of working with organisations worldwide, I've observed that the most successful teams don't just chase victories – they pursue excellence in everything they do.
It's not about crushing the competition or stepping on colleagues; it's about creating an environment where winning becomes a natural outcome of doing things properly.
Think about it. When your team celebrates small wins, acknowledges progress and learns from setbacks, you're not just building confidence – you're crafting a mindset that seeks improvement in every interaction, every project and every outcome. This isn't toxic competitiveness; it's healthy ambition.
The truly brilliant thing is that this approach creates a self-reinforcing cycle. Success breeds success. Teams that win the right way – through empathy, collaboration, discipline, determination, creativity and a recognition that they are one cog in a bigger wheel – develop an unshakeable belief in their abilities. They're not afraid to fail because they know failure is just feedback.
Remember, culture isn't about winning or losing – it's about how you play the game. But play it right and the wins will come, consistently.