Not many people outside of the world of athletics would
think of the word “win” in terms being part of a culture. But that is exactly
how athletes, leaders, and coaches all see it, and what we are all trying to
attain. A winning culture is a powerful and difficult thing to have, and it is
a special experience to be a part of a team where winning is not only desired,
but also expected.
One
thing that I have learned from being on both teams with and without winning
cultures is that in order to actually be successful, one must first learn how
to have success. No matter how talented each individual is on the team, if the
players do not know how to win, then the team will not win.
What
exactly does knowing how to win look like? While these types of teams may come
in different shapes, sizes, and forms, they all have one thing in common:
confidence. They have a look in their eyes that says, “Not only can we win, we
will win.” They step on the court with a sense of focus, purpose, and poise no
matter the situation or opponent, and they know how to perform at all costs.
This is a team that knows how to win.
This
past season, my team did not know how to win. We did not have the experience
and confidence to close some games we could have, and we lost some
heartbreakers along the way because of this fact. However, in mulling over what
was a trying season, I have realized that the best teams not only know how to
win, they also have great knowledge of how it feels to lose. They feel the
frustration of leaving their hearts on the floor and not getting results. They
suffer the extreme disappointment of working as hard as they could and not
having positive results to show for it. They have seen loss after loss and
throughout these losses have not been broken, but have been sparked on, willing
to do whatever it takes to look the losses in the face and declare that enough
is enough. It is time to win.
A
winning culture is not built overnight. It is developed and shaped brick by
brick, through the sweat and tears of people who care and want to make a
change. Success takes heartbreak, and one gains the confidence and knowledge of
how to win only through seeing the other side first.
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