PLAYING TO WIN...or Playing Not to Lose?

Everybody goes through losses in life. But instead of becoming “hostage” to a loss, regret, or change, instead or avoiding potential pain of negative feedback, you should rewire your brain to “play to win”. When there is change, look for opportunities, not threats, says George Kohlrieser, Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior at IMD.

In this talk made some years ago George Kohlrieser addresses the difference between the two powerful mindsets "Playing to win” vs “Playing not to lose”. "No matter what catastrophe, what loss comes, you don't have to be a hostage to it. You can turn it into an opportunity", says Kohlrieser.

     

"The mind's eye determines what you focus on. Did you ever notice some people will always focus on the negative? It doesn't matter what happens - they can find something wrong, something to complain about in the best of all situations. And they are playing what we call "Playing not to lose". They are more concerned about their failure than they are about the opportunity. They're  more fearful to take a risk. It is about failure to take the right risk."Playing  not to lose" that's the negative focus.
Then there are people who always focus on the positive. Have you seen them? No matter what happens they can find something  positive. No matter what catastrophe, what loss comes, you don't have to be a hostage to it. You can turn it into an opportunity.
Entrepreneurs have to do this. They see opportunities everywhere. But the big danger is when they suffer a fear, they suffer a loss and they don't get over that.
So "Playing to win" is a mindset. And this is  not about "lolly-dolly-good-touchy-feely-soft" leadership. This is good business practice. You must be positive in dealing with customers, with suppliers, with employees  in order to be successful. The research is very clear that positive focus is fundamental. "Playing to win".
The sad story is this - 80% of people "play not  to lose". They're more driven by their fear of failure, the fear making mistake, the fear of  conflict, the fear of dealing with a problem. 

The good news is that you can rewire your brain. Can a whole team be 100% focused on the positive? Can the whole team "play to win"? Yes, get that locked in your brain. Yes, yes, yes! 
And it will normally be dependent on the leader. If the leader is negative, cynical, "playing not  to lose" that gets into the culture, that gets in the mindset of employees, and that's going to affect their behavior. You have to be able to understand how your focus determines the state you're in. And the state determines the result. If I am in a state of fear, if I'm in a state of  anger, if I'm in a state of whatever that bad mood is, that's going to affect the result.
How many of you been in a bad mood? Well, welcome to the human race. How long does it take to change a bad mood? You have to learn to change it like this.

Leaders often spread their negativity around so that it affects the whole result. In the end past experiences for many people are nothing more than conditioning that determine  the future. The future is a memory of the past and it is often because of the negative beliefs".