January 8, 2007
The Will to Win
There are several qualities that separate people who are successful from people who are mediocre. The most important of these qualities is a hyper-competitive drive that is almost all consuming. Chances are good that if you have this natural competitive edge you know what I’m talking about. In case you do not have it, I will describe it for you so that you can understand what you are up against.
People who have this natural desire to compete - and win – will automatically respond aggressively to any situation where their results can be compared with the results of another person (team, company or group). This desire is like fuel. In fact it is like rocket fuel. It can propel you to unparalleled heights.
It is this desire that allows the competitive athlete to fight through pain to continue to take the field well into his later years. If results can be measured the competitive individual must be at the top of the list. The gam, sport or business challenge is irrelevant. The motivation is a pure desire to be the best and to beat the “other guy”.
The intensity of this competitive drive can be overwhelming. It can manifest itself in physical indications. Bill Parcels (Hall of Fame American Football Coach) regularly describes the feeling of losing by saying that he gets physically ill when he loses. Most competitive people will not even participate in a game if they feel that they can’t win because of the negative feelings associated with losing.
Many people automatically assume that all athletes and leaders have this burning desire. This is not true. In fact, very few people possess the aggressive competitive nature that drives the most successful people in the world. This drive is often confused with persistence, grit, guts and passion. All of those qualities are byproducts of a natural competitive drive.
Filed under: Attitude
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