Leaderonomics

Everybody wants to win; it is said that nobody plays to lose. However, is everyone prepared to win?

“Most people have the will to win; few have the will to prepare to win.” – Bobby Knight, American basketball coach

As we celebrate the winners of this year’s Malaysia’s 100 Leading Graduate Employers, let’s have a closer look at what it takes to be a winner.

The winning mindset:

Dream big

Ever heard of the term, “dress for the job that you want, not the job that you have”? Applying that slightly differently, don’t be afraid to dream big, no matter how “unrealistic” it may be dubbed.

Don’t limit yourself with the things that you know you can do – go out and grab for your larger dreams.

However, just like eating a large serving of food, take a small bite at a time. Don’t bite off more than you can chew, lest you choke!
Remember to break your big goal into small, achievable goals, as you get on your way to your dreams.

Adopt positive thinking

Many athletes credit mental toughness to be one of the more important things to have when doing what they do.

To be a winner, we have to protect ourselves from thinking that will potentially pull us down.

Developing a positive outlook can help you see the best in everything, thus bringing you to spotting more opportunities around you.

Be resilient and, as Roshan Thiran suggests in his Be A Leader article, be your own cheerleader, because nobody is going to care about your goals as much as yourself.

Work with those around you

Let’s be honest – almost every goal that you seek to achieve can’t be achieved purely by your own self. The success of one winner doesn’t always mean that all the hard work was done by the same person who won.

Behind every successful athlete, there’s a coach; behind every scholar, there’s a teacher.

Shift your mindset of “self” and focus on working cohesively with those around you instead. Establish a support system made of people whom you trust and respect; whom you can go to for advice and encouragements.

All the best in your preparation to be the best in the world.

You’re a winner, and you better believe it!