Rule #5 It is not important to always win; let others win.
More can be gained with a spoonful of sugar than salt—this is an old saying from my grandma.
While operating in the system and in life, you should always have a plan A and plan B in place. Although you may only desire plan A fully in your heart, you always have to think through both plans with the possibility of a course correction. Questions you have to constantly ask yourself while operating in the system include the following: What happens if this doesn’t work? What happens if it doesn’t work as well but still works? You have to be able to adjust and re-prioritize and set goals as you move along. You have to think all scenarios all the way through. You have to think about the home run before you swing the bat. The highly successful winners start with the end in mind. This is so critical because if you don’t know what your end objective is or how to get there, including all the roadblocks, you’re just wandering in the wilderness. Sometimes the end objective may not be the perfect ending, but at least you have a perfect objective.
It’s not important who publicly wins, or shall I say the public announcement as to who wins. The victor is the one who walks away with his head up, quietly knowing the aftermath wasn’t a total shambles.
It’s also not important to always win in certain conflicts or disagreements. Let others win. For example, in a competitive environment, it may not be your turn, but you are on the list to win eventually. If you wait, then on the next go around you’ll get the promotion or job you were seeking. You have to recognize and play in the environment. At this point, you cannot challenge it; you cannot challenge the players; you just have to suck it up and deal with it. You can’t give up or be resentful because if you do, that knocks you out as a contender. You won’t get another shot. Always remember the system is unforgiving.
You will receive recognition, promotions, and be considered a mentor or a go-to person when you operate from the foundation you created. You are now removed from a lot of the nonsense and people only come to you with positive discernments. Some people tend to think because you are easy-going you must be soft or weak, and that can be a huge mistake on their part. Don’t let people with bravado sway you into thinking you need to be like them to get ahead and achieve goals. Anyone who ever saw me in that way was surprised by the lion that showed up. I’ve always acted like the silent ninja who chops you into pieces while you sleep.
The point is; You don’t have to be the loud voice in the room. Being the loud voice in most cases will show your cards and will show your intentions, and this will definitely end your battle quickly.
Focus on what really matters. Often, when you let others win, you’re the real winner.