To refer to someone as a “loser” is one of the most cruel statements you can make. It is a cutting statement regarding their character and personal value. Keep this in mind when you hear the phrase “Loser’s Mentality”. This is a sporting term which does not refer to a team or person’s value but rather a team or person who continually comes up short and mixes expectations. A Loser’s Mentality sets in when a defeatist attitude becomes institutionalized. This appears to have happened to the New York Knicks.
In an article written Ian Begley by on today’s ESPN.com, Knicks team president Phil Jackson said regarding the team’s poor performance, “It’s about a loser’s mentality.” You can read the full article by clicking here. As I read Begley’s post, I gleaned 8 Practices Of Leaders With A Loser’s Mentality. See if any of the following apply to you.
- Leaders With A Loser’s Mentality Have Poor Thinking – Jackson pointed out about the current Knick roster, “It’s not about the skill or the talent level.”
- Leaders With A Loser’s Mentality Have Poor Starts – When you awake in the morning, do you say, “Good morning Oh Lord” or “Oh Lord it’s morning.” In the 69-year history of the Knicks, this is the poorest record 22 games into the season in their history. A winning mentality never has to recover from a good start.
- Leaders With A Loser’s Mentality Have Poor Finishes – The Knicks not only start poorly but finish equally poor. In the Knicks’ past five losses, they have been within one score of the opposition with less than five minutes to play. Jackson added, “I think right now we have a loser’s mentality because we’re not finishing games, so we have to break through that zone and get to that point.”
- Leaders With A Loser’s Mentality Miss Opportunities – The games were close. Opportunities were there. Seven of Knicks’ last eight losses have been by seven points or less.
- Leaders With A Loser’s Mentality Are Unwilling To Change – Some people are more comfortable in dysfunction. Jackson continued, “There’s some resistance to discipline and order and culture change and things like that.”
- Leaders With A Loser’s Mentality Are Insecure And Create Insecurity For Others – The team’s mentality has created an environment in which their jobs are now in jeopardy. Jackson acknowledged, “I’m not going to make movement for movement’s sake. There is sometimes addition by subtraction but I don’t see anybody that doesn’t want to be part of this organization, doesn’t want to play with his teammates, doesn’t want to learn.”
- Leaders With A Loser’s Mentality Ignore The Importance Of Today – Knowing this season is probably a lost cause, Jackson said, “What we have to do is protect our future.”
- Leaders With A Loser’s Mentality Are Constantly Disappointed – Regarding injured star Andrea Bargnani, Jackson said, “We’re so disappointed in Andrea’s condition. He’s so disappointed. He’s expressed to me this has never happened to him…The opportunity is still there for him to step up and help us out.”
Poor Thinking, Poor Starts, Poor Finishes, Missed Opportunities, Unwilling To Change, Insecure, Ignoring Today and Constant Disappointments. If this describes your leadership, you may have a loser’s mentality. Just know it is not to late to change. Start today!
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