In our binary win/lose world, how can you create a win-win?

My oldest son, Judge, and I were talking the other day about how everything in our society feels so divisive – sports competitions inevitably produce winners and losers, the election where you’re either blue or red, pro or anti-TikTok, and so on. 

We discussed how powerful winning feels and how frustrating it can feel when you’re either on the losing team or when others are on a different side of an issue and you’re not feeling heard. 

We wanted to see what experiences exist where everyone feels like a winner – regardless of your religious, political, social media preferences, or sports affiliations – where we could share in that wonderful joy in a moment in time. 

Here’s what we came up with initially:

• Music. We’ve all been to concerts where differences don’t matter because we’re united in the moment.
• Celebrations. We can all rally and come together on a milestone birthday or to celebrate someone else’s accomplishments.
• Books/Ideas. One great sentence or one powerful quote can lift our collective spirits for days.

To carry this idea further, we wondered about whose responsibility it was to ensure these collective moments are kept alive in our society to ensure we, despite our differences, can have shared, positive experiences.

In my mind, it’s everyone’s responsibility. If you’re reading this right now, you’ve already expressed interest in living your life as a leader –

you see yourself as someone who influences outcomes and inspires others. 

To lead well right now in this challenging time, my challenge to you is to find an opportunity to be intentional about creating a collective win. Start a book club with your work team; take it upon yourself to find out everyone’s birthday on your team and make these days special, find some music that you’d like to share. 

Small things, over time, add up to big things. 

Be that SPARK in someone else’s life to remind them that there’s something bigger than our differences – it’s our collective desire to experience joy.

All my best,