Do you play to win — or play to not lose?

Do you play to win — or play to not lose? 

Grant and Higgins’ research says this single question reveals more about how you lead than almost any other. 

Last week I shared why using opportunity language with a prevention-focused person doesn’t just fail. It actively increases their anxiety. 

Many of you resonated with it. So let’s get specific. 

WHICH OF THESE SOUNDS MORE LIKE YOU? 

PROMOTION FOCUS (play to win):
⦿You work quickly and consider lots of alternatives
⦿You’re an optimist and open to new possibilities
⦿You seek positive feedback and lose steam without it
⦿You feel dejected when things go wrong
⦿The worst thing? A chance not taken 

PREVENTION FOCUS (play to not lose):
⦿You work slowly and deliberately, and tend to be accurate
⦿You’re prepared for the worst and stressed by short deadlines
⦿You stick to tried and true ways of doing things
⦿You feel worried or anxious when things go wrong
⦿The worst thing? Making an avoidable mistake 

Most of us recognise ourselves in both, but we lean one way.  

I’m heavily promotion-focused. I move fast, love possibilities, and have to consciously remind myself that my prevention-focused colleagues aren’t being difficult. They’re being careful. And that’s exactly what the team needs. 

This is one of the biggest lightbulb moments in our Advanced Diploma of Neuroscience of Leadership — the moment leaders realise they’ve been motivating everyone the way THEY are motivated, not the way the other person’s brain actually works. 

WHERE DO YOU SIT ON THE SPECTRUM? 

Vote in the poll on LinkedIn — then tell me in the comments:
Has knowing your orientation changed how you lead or communicate with your team? 

Research credit: Heidi Grant Halvorson and E. Tory Higgins, motivational mindset and regulatory focus theory. Grant, H. & Higgins, E. T. (2013). Do you play to win — or to not lose? Harvard Business Review. 

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