There has always been a lot of discussing in the leadership and coaching fields about winning. Are winning and success the same things or are they different?

According to DICTIONARY.com, winning are defined as:

1. to finish first in a race, contest, or the like.
2. to succeed by striving or effort: He applied for a scholarship and won.
3. to gain the victory; overcome an adversary: The home team won. –verb (used with object)
4. to succeed in reaching (a place, condition, etc.), esp. by great effort: They won the shore through a violent storm.
5. to get by effort, as through labor, competition, or conquest: He won his post after years of striving.
6. to gain (a prize, fame, etc.).
7. to be successful in (a game, battle, etc.).
8. to make (one's way), as by effort or ability.
9. to attain or reach (a point, goal, etc.).
10. to gain (favor, love, consent, etc.), as by qualities or influence.
11. to gain the favor, regard, or adherence of.
12. to gain the consent or support of; persuade (often fol. by over): The speech won them over to our side.
13. to persuade to marry; gain in marriage.
14. British Mining.
a. to obtain (ore, coal, etc.).
b. to prepare (a vein, bed, mine, etc.) for working, by means of shafts or the like.

–noun
15. a victory, as in a game or horse race.
16. the position of the competitor who comes in first in a horse race, harness race, etc. Compare PLACE (def. 27b), SHOW (def. 27).

—Verb phrase
17. win out, to win or succeed, esp. over great odds; triumph: His finer nature finally won out.

While there is nothing WRONG with winning, I see it related to wars and battles (military), political contests, sports (at all levels), games (at all levels), fights and arguments. Winning also means there are losers (unless you believe in that “win/win” stuff!).

What about SUCCESS? Is success the same thing as winning? The same source, DICTIONARY.com defines success as:

1. the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors.
2. the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.
3. a successful performance or achievement: The play was an instant success.
4. a person or thing that is successful: She was a great success on the talk show.
5. Obsolete. OUTCOME.

Seveteen definitions for WINNING but only five for SUCCESS. And yet, there are many more personal definitions for success than there are for winning. Winning means that you did not lose and that someone else – an individual, group, team, organization or entity (such as a country or an army) – lost.

Success can apply to individuals, companies, groups or other entities. At the personal level, success does not have to mean winning. It can related to a state of being, the accomplishment of a goal, it can be financial or inner-related. Successful people sometimes define themselves by what they have done, the title they hold or what possessions they have accumulated. Others define success by experiences the have had, relationships and a condition of being such as heath or fitness. All of these are build around the individual’s definition of a goal or goals (about me) and not based on someone else losing (about them).

Whether is leadership, supervision or organizational strategy and goals, there needs to be much more focus on success and how to achieve it at the individual and group level. The talk of winning can stay on the battlefield, the political sphere and sports arena.

George F Franks
http://franksconsultinggroup.com