The Long Win

Why are people so obsessed with winning? Is this helpful in today's world? How might we approach 'success' in a better way, whether as individuals, leaders or organisations? These questions are examined in a brilliant new book by Diplomat, Olympian and Leadership expert Cath Bishop. In the Long Win, Cath draws on her personal experience as well as her broader expertise, challenges our assumptions and offers a fresh perspective on how we might redefine success. 

With the book just recently nominated in the FT’s Top 10 Business Books for 2020, we are delighted that Cath has been able to find the time to answer some of the questions that we feel will resonate most with our network. 

Question 1 - In the book you address the importance of language. Can you elaborate on this, and in particular highlight the pitfalls of which leaders need to be aware?

We are surrounded by the language of winning, from the playground to the boardroom. It features heavily in Hollywood movies, the world of marketing and political campaigns.

It can feel powerful and tempting to use this dominant narrative around winning, but it’s important to think about what impact it has on others. An emphasis on success being defined by ‘being the best’ or trying to be ‘no 1’, can create a culture where people feel the need to compete against each other rather than collaborate together. It can also lead to an environment where proving how good you are becomes more important than improving daily. It can also lead to a focus on extrinsic motivation – rewards, incentives or bonuses (medals in sport) rather than the much deeper and more resourceful sources of intrinsic motivation that come from purpose, autonomy and a ‘mastery’ approach of constant learning.

The original meaning of ‘competere’ was ‘striving together’ – for me, that’s a great basis for sports and business cultures to be built on, a strong foundation for high performing teams, striving for excellence together, not a bunch of individuals all trying to outdo each other.

The word ‘win’ has two roots going back to its original meaning: one was ‘gewinn’ meaning hard work and effort, the other was ‘wunnia’ meaning joy - no mention of losers or defeating others. But over time, through centuries of history focused on military and political battles, then transferred into boardrooms and marketplaces, winning has become associated with defeating others and a binary win-lose way of thinking. Adopting this approach to success can result in a focus on short-term superficial outcomes rather than long-term purpose, on measuring success in comparison with competitors rather than exploring what’s possible together, and excluding many who don’t conform to these narrow measures.

Question 2 - You examine how our obsession with winning holds us back. Can you take us through some of the spheres you discuss in the book, such as education, business, and 21st Century Global Challenges?

There is an increasing mismatch between the way our political, business and cultural systems grew up and the world in which they now exist. No single nation can ‘win’ at climate change; no one country can ‘defeat’ terrorism or a global pandemic on its own. As many philosophers have argued through the ages, none of us can ‘win at life’.

An obsession with winning holds us back across different parts of society. In education, it has led to a narrow focus on exams, grades, and league tables. Winning in the game of education has become about the letters on the piece of paper that you leave school with, often with no regard for developing the skills that we need in the modern workplace, such as creativity, innovation, resilience and collaboration. Those who do poorly within that narrow game can often feel they have already failed at life, before even reaching adulthood. Exams and tests rarely reward ‘divergent thinking’, coming up with multiple options and solutions to issues, instead valuing ‘convergent thinking’, a single answer that can be summarized on a marking sheet.

Yet in the workplace, we can see that business rarely works on that basis. There are no right answers, 2020 has shown us that more than ever. Thinking differently and adapting is what is needed most in these times of uncertainty – yet schools rarely test for creative or innovative behaviour, collaborative skills or the ability to challenge the status quo ( - in fact those last two elements can get you expelled.) But I see multiple organisations crying out for their staff to work more creatively and collaboratively.

In business, an obsession with metrics, targets and numbers (profit margins, sales figures, etc) has distracted companies from focusing on purpose, constant learning and developing a strong teamworking culture, all of which are essential for sustainable performance and the adaptability to manage unpredictable, volatile times.

Win-loss thinking does not set us up well to manage the complex issues we face in the 21st century – from climate change to inequality, international security to global health – these are not issues that can be won or lost, nor are they short-term challenges that will go away. No single leader, company or country has the answers, but collaboratively we could come up with the best solutions if we had structures and systems that enabled that – often, our institutions and organisations are failing to enable this.

Question 3 - What are your three 'C's for Long Win Thinking?

Long Win Thinking is based on the 3 C’s of Clarity, Constant Learning and Collaboration:

First, Clarify what really matters: in the world of business, companies that last longer are the ones who are not just aiming for market share and higher profit margins, but those driven by a deeper sense of purpose. The research is clear: purpose-led businesses outperform their peers. Purpose and meaning at work are by far the best ways of motivating – much better than targets, incentives or bonuses.

Second, a Constant Learning mindset sits at the heart of how we develop resilience, performance and leadership in a changing world. A learning outlook recognizes improvement and growth, rather than simply short-term results and outcomes.

Thirdly, the prioritisation of human Connections in everything that we do means that we put people first, that wellbeing and support underpin performance. Organisational life runs on teams, yet many operate far below their capacity because of an emphasis on individuals rather than connections between individuals in the workplace.

Question 4 - Two other insights we took from the book are around patience, and asking good questions. Could you elaborate on this for us?

There are definitely lots of pressures and deadlines within organisations that push us to rush, to speed through decisions and take short-cuts. But there are no shortcuts to high performance – every Olympic athlete will take you that, as well as teachers and leaders of  companies that have stood the test of time.

Patience emerged as a theme that I hadn’t expected. The fact that the best way to learn is slowly was a revelation. When I reflected on my experience of negotiations as a diplomat, progress rarely came when we pushed for it. It came sometimes when we gave up on pushing, and listened, really listened, and explored and searched, and ways of moving forward emerged that we would never have come to light if we’d continued pushing. And most athletes learn the power of patience, in technique, in training, in decision-making. A split-second pause to scan, breathe or relax can make all the difference in peak performance.

As all of my experiences and research was telling me that existing formulas are not working, I was keen to avoid simply creating another formula. Questions kept me on track to do this. The 3Cs of Clarity, Constant Learning and Connection do not form a tickable checklist. Each chapter ends with a set of questions to help us to continue to explore these themes, continually clarifying what matters at the level of meaning and purpose in our personal and professional lives, constantly learning whatever the situation or outcomes we face, and seeking to build connections with others as the priority in everything we do.

Questions sit at the heart of ‘long-win thinking’ as an essential tool to help us deepen our understanding, develop our thinking and spur us into acting differently. ‘Why’ questions are key to gaining Clarity of what matters, why our work is important, and therefore ‘how’ we might find ways round the challenges that we encounter. Questions also sit at the heart of a learning mindset, helping to challenge our own and others’ thinking. And questions are a great way of connecting with others, learning more about their perspectives and insights, supporting and challenging those around us to learn and grow alongside us.

My aim in ‘The Long Win’ was to help us take a fresh look at the world of winning we are all immersed in and start to see it through a different lens. Summed up nicely by one of my favourite jokes: one fish asks the other fish, ‘How’s the water?’ to which the other fish replies, ‘What the hell is water?’

The Long Win is out now in the UK and the US. It is available in all good bookshops and online. Click here to order through Amazon.