An obsession with winning isn’t advisable. Winners aren’t always the best deal-makers! Economic principles & business logic can invade all aspects of our lives. We have normalised a transactional, zero-sum view of the world.
In a dynamic work-place, losing is a critical trait. A way to build character & resilience, to innovate & resolve challenges. With AI & robots predicted to replace 50% of human work in 25 years, a flexible work-place will value a balance between win & loss. Competing with the perfect smart machines & relentless focus on winning can unknowingly transform us into machines, as well.
Ultimate bastion of humanity is our ability to lose. Machines stop functioning, fail but never lose. Winners don’t fight for lost causes. Can create compassionate communities, support systems. Reminds of something more worthwhile than winning. Guy at end of the pack sees a lot more of the race, richer stories to tell. Great learnings, insights gained from sports people.
Whether it’s professional defeat or personal loss, we can embrace the fact that losing is the basis of shared humanity. Each day, it becomes increasingly obvious what we’re losing, when winning is the only option: almost everything.