Winning is Simpler than You Think

There are two types of winning. There’s the “I’m better/faster/smarter than you” type of winning. That’s the one we’re most accustomed to. And then there’s the “I am” type of winning. That one is less well understood. But it’s infinitely more powerful.

Climbing the Corporate Ladder

Think about how our workplaces are structured. There are people at the top, people at the bottom, and everybody else in-between. Those higher up the ladder have more “positional” power. They get to tell those below them what to do. Those at the bottom have no positional power. They don’t get to tell anyone what to do. The folks in the middle get to tell some people what to do and have to answer to others. It’s a simple system: You either have more positional power or less positional power. In order for you to be “up,” someone else needs to be “down.”

What keeps everyone happily chugging along in their place? I’d like to say that most often it’s a shared commitment to the company’s vision, but it’s not. What tends to keep people in their place is fear. A fear of losing your place, or your livelihood, if you don’t adhere to your superior’s demands.

This is what keeps highly talented but compliant workers from taking the risks that might propel them up the ladder. It’s also what keeps victims of workplace-power abuses silent.

Those who do ascend quickly up the ladder and who know how to stop abuses in their tracks don’t let fear control them. They operate from a higher power: personal power.

What is Personal Power?

While “positional” power tells you that if you’re not at the top, you are powerless, “personal” power tells you that wherever you are on the ladder, you are powerful. Why are you powerful? Because you are a human being, and just like all other human beings, you are worthy of respect. That’s it. You are powerful, and valuable, and worthy, simply because you are.

Could it be that simple? Well, just ask Oprah Winfrey, who was born Black, female, and poor in America, with no contacts and few prospects, and turned herself into a billionaire icon. Or Muriel Siebert, Wall Street trailblazer who opened her own firm in 1967 and overcame the ingrained sexism of the day to gain a seat on the New York Stock Exchange. Or Malala Yousafzai, for goodness sake, who at age 15 stood up to the Taliban—and won. When you truly understand that you are powerful because you are, and that what you think and want matters because you say it does, nothing can stop you.

It is simple, but it’s not always easy. In fact, it can be hard, and scary—and yes, sometimes even dangerous—to stand for yourself, but you are the only one who can do it. And if you want to achieve your full potential in this life, if you really want to win, you have to honor and unleash your personal power.

For some simple ways to get started doing just that, visit www.juliezuraw.com.