The cost of winning at all cost.
The cost of winning at all cost.
Once upon a time I thought the three most important work attributes were have fun, win at all cost and work/life balance. I figured these three independent legs of the stool would pull at each other to create balance and positive outcomes for my inner self and career. Today, I’m convinced that Winning at All Cost is a dangerous approach to work, life and most everything. Why?
First, and most obviously, we have a certain person in power that will do ANYTHING to win. This includes lying, misleading, pressuring, manipulating, using others as human shields, and generally acting in the service of self over others. I am disgusted and will not waste another word on how this has truly warped the country. Another figure who felt the same upended the professional cycling world creating such high drama and pressure that it ruined lives and careers. Even our most loved past figure in the NBA, who recently created a documentary of their time in the league, was in someways a bit flawed. For all the glory and adoration, I wonder what cracks existed beneath the surface. I am certain they must be there.
Winning at all cost has been a common approach to developing junior level athletic talent. Many documentaries have been written about the downward slide and long term impact of our obsession with an outcome-driven focus. Is this good for our kids considering that less than 1% of the population will ever play professional sports.
Is there a difference between at a cost and at any cost? For sure there is and although it may seem a bit trivial on the surface, the shift in actions and attitude tell a very different story. Lives crushed, careers sacrificed, leadership obsessed with monetary and economic achievements over the true value of humility, cooperation and generosity. Think of any titan of business and their unrelenting focus on outcomes at all cost or just read Thomas Wolf’s A Man in Full.
In advertising, specifically business development, we are trained to win at all cost. Nothing is spared - investment of time, money and people hours, endless war gaming, lost weekends and nights, sometimes even espionage. Is it worth all at?
Today, on Thanksgiving, I say no. It’s not. The cost of winning at all cost is too high. Winning is amazing no doubt. But at what price? When we as a country, as a business, as leaders, encourage and allow someone to approach the world from this vantage point, the price is steep and w’eve all lost. Hearing that someone very powerful called local administrators in a certain upper midwestern state to push for an outcome at all cost - wow, that’s when we’ve gone too far. It’s time to rebalance.
I am not a scholar and this is not a well researched white paper. This is common sense. This is also a wake up call to everyone in the game of winning. Pause, reflect and give some thought to the long term outcome of living life this way. Love relentlessly - at all cost. If we did that our relationships, partnerships, and perspective would be in a much better place.
Now, back to food, fun, time off and to give thanks for this amazing thing called Life that we are all privileged to have each day.
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11molove it. Matt, thanks for sharing!
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2yMatt, thanks for sharing!
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4yThe greatest and most remembered leaders in history all lack that particular trait.
Absolutely, great article Matt. Having been around the block a few times I've certainly seen where winning at all cost has landed in a bad result. The ad/marketing/agency business is so addicted to this because of the out dated pitch process.
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4yI would say, make something that actually works, make something to be proud of, and make a bunch of money...and others can have all the rest!