The Long Win - 1st edition: The search for a better way to succeed

'Powerful and profound.' - Matthew Syed 'Anyone interested in motivation should read this book and think deeply.’ - Margaret Heffernan ***Selected as one of the Financial Times's Best Business Books of 2020*** ***THE PEOPLE' BOOK PRIZE 2022/23 SHORTLISTED TITLE*** In this fascinating examination of our widespread obsession with winning, Cath Bishop draws on her personal experience of high-performance environments to trace the idea of winning through history, language and thought to explore how it has come to be a defining concept in fields from sport to business, from politics to education. Faced with the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century, Cath offers a new, broader approach – The Long Win. Cath competed as a rower at three Olympic Games, becoming the first British woman to win the World Championships and an Olympic medal in the coxless pairs event. As a senior diplomat, Cath worked on policy and negotiations, specializing in stabilization policy for conflict-affected parts of the world. In business, Cath has acted as a coach and consultant, advising on team and leadership development and organizational culture, and teaches on the Executive Education Faculty at the Judge Business School, Cambridge University. In this book she brings that extraordinary mix of experience to examine what winning has come to mean to society and to us as individuals and offers a fresh perspective on how we might redefine success – personal and professional - for the longer-term. ‘Looking at life from a different point of view is a rare skill. Built on in-depth research and broad experience as well as original thought, this book will change your outlook on everything.’ - Clare Balding OBE ‘This book is so relevant, timely and exciting for any person or organization wanting to investigate what success means to them. It couldn’t be a more relevant book right now and Cath’s exceptional ability in so many areas of life make it a gripping read with a lot of key takeaways whatever your area of interest. I wish every leader could immediately read this book as the world would be a better place if they did!’ - Goldie Sayers, Olympic Medallist in the Javelin, Coach ‘I love this book. It is a must-read for educators, business executives, policy makers, politicians and indeed anyone who wants to understand why we need a new narrative around winning and success. We need a lot more Long-Win Thinking in our homes, businesses and institutions and Cath’s book is the place to go to find out why – and how we get there.’ - Dame Helena Morrissey

Table of Contents:
Table of ContentsPreface Prologue Introduction Part I: What Does Winning Mean? Chapter 1: ‘Loser!’ The Language of Winning How winning became part of our everyday conversations Chapter 2: ‘It’s How We’re Wired’: The Science of Winning How our bodies and minds respond to winning Chapter 3: ‘To The Victor, The Spoils’: The History of Winning How winning has dominated the history books Part II: How Our Obsession with Winning Holds Us Back Chapter 4: From Monopoly Memories to the Greasy Pole: Real Life Encounters with Winning Everyday experiences of what success has come to mean from childhood to adulthood Chapter 5: Who’s Really Top of the Class? The Impact of Trying to Win in Education What happens when we try to win at learning? Chapter 6: Sport: ‘It’s All About Medals’ – Truth or Myth in High Performance Sport? Where does an obsession with winning at all costs end up? Chapter 7: ‘It’s All About Being No 1!’ The Will to Win in Business The impact of a winning-focused culture on performance in business and organizations Chapter 8: Global Winners and Losers How do you win at 21st century global challenges? Part III: A New Approach to Winning Chapter 9: Finding a Better Way: The Beginning of Long-Win Thinking Trying a different approach to defining success. Chapter 10: Redefining Success: The Role of Clarity in Long-Win Thinking Developing clarity of purpose & perspective Chapter 11: Beyond Medals and Grades: The Role of Constant Learning in Long-Win Thinking Putting a proactive learning mindset into practice Chapter 12: People First: The Role of Connection in Long-Win Thinking Building deeper relationships at the heart of everything we pursue Concluding Thoughts: New Language, Different Thinking, Fresh Stories Developing Long-Win Thinking in daily life Epilogue Appendix Endnotes Acknowledgements About the Author Index

About the Author :
Cath Bishop is a leadership expert and writer, bringing her unique experience in both top-level sport and international diplomacy to the most pressing issues facing businesses in the 21st century. She competed as a rower at three Olympic Games, becoming part of the first British women’s crew to win the World Championships and winning a Silver Olympic medal in the coxless pairs event. As a senior diplomat, she worked on policy and negotiations, specializing in stabilization policy for conflict-affected parts of the world. She now works as a coach, facilitator and consultant, advising global businesses on team and leadership development and cultural change. Cath is a regular newspaper reviewer on Radio 4’s Broadcasting House and has commentated on rowing for the BBC, Eurosport and BT Sport.

Review :
A brilliantly thought provoking book that will challenge your mindset around winning, for the better. This is not just someone’s opinion it is backed by social proof, scientific research as well as personal anecdotes from the world of Olympic sport. It is the best cultural change book I have read in a long time and will be implementing a number of the practical applications immediately. A breath of fresh air. A refreshing perspective on winning that helps build a longer term perspective on ‘winning’ and sustainable satisfaction with ones performance. This book isn’t saying no to winning and certainly, as a former professional sportsperson and Olympian, Cath doesn’t advocate a lowering of standards, but she does challenge and ask you to reconsider the current framework surrounding winning and competition. It’s about preparing for and creating meaningful success.” This book will be of interest to all involved in sport, business and education. The central premise is that winning is a deeper achievement than scoring more goals than an opponent on a single occasion, and that it is not a zero-sum game. It will inspire educators to investigate further what winning means to them, and how the answer to this question shapes all programmes and processes.” I thoroughly recommend this book. It shows our unhelpful obsession with a narrow definition of winning and the devastating consequences that obsession can have. It’s very thought-provoking: lots of questions which got me mulling for days. Lastly it gives a helpful alternative- I especially liked the focus on collaboration. This is both heartfelt and thoughtful- vulnerable self disclosure is twinned with deep thinking and significant research. In this book Cath Bishop insightfully questions some of these assumptions in society - in sport, business, education and other domains. It's a refreshing perspective that may facilitate a happier and healthier pursuit of one's goals, and may even help make the journey (or the long win) a fulfilling goal in itself. Would highly recommend this book. Cath has written a wonderful book - packed with insight from her first hand knowledge and beautifully written too. This is an important contribution to the growing movement towards organisations fit for humans. Cath gives me more hope that, although it'll be a long win, we'll get there. This book really does force you to re-think what you have been told throughout life, it offers a different way of thinking about competing, whether that's in sports or at work or anywhere else for that matter. It's a must read because this way of thinking (in my opinion) will 100% produce more well-rounded people who will better themselves and others they come into contact with in a variety of fields. Beginning with the discomfort between the language of winning and the complexity of the world right now, Cath Bishop details how the mentality of winning at all costs results in rivalry, selfishness and arrogance, attributes which are unwelcome in both personal and professional spheres. She describes the toxic cultures rooted in winning in the short term, from sport to financial services. She also talks about the problems it can create in education where the focus is often on marks rather than learning, killing the joy of sport for children and more seriously, undermining their self-confidence. Winning is not easily compatible with cooperation and collaboration which are traits employers seek and which make life more rewarding for all. An outstanding and thought-provoking book