The Long Win - 1st edition

Book excerpt: '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