Win, or be Right?
Published as "Lose the Battle to Win the War" in Corporate Dossier, Economic Times, 22 August 2008.
A learned sage was in the middle of a very narrow bridge when he saw a powerful king approaching from the other side.
"Please turn around," said the sage, "So that I may pass."
"No, you turn around," thundered the king, "So that I may pass."
"But I stepped on the bridge first."
"Yes, but I can push you back."
"That's not fair. Know that I am a teacher, a priest and the most respected philosopher in the land. Hence, I must be given the first right of passage." Argued the sage
The king sneered, " I built the school you teach. I pay for the rituals you perform. Without me as patron, you would not be able to indulge in philosophy. So you must give me the first right of passage."
So the arguments continued, each one refusing to give way to the other, each one justifying why the other should turn back. Finally, the king raised his whip and struck the sage. Furious, the sage cursed the king,
"You have behaved like a demon, and so may you turn into one."
Instantly, the king turned into a demon ? a man-eating demon. He pounced on the sage, opened his mouth wide and ate him whole.
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What mattered more ? crossing the bridge or crossing the bridge first? Clearly the latter, for the sage. That is why, instead of simply turning back to make way for the bully king, he demanded first right of passage.
The demand turned to insistence on moral, ethical and legal grounds. But what happened finally? The sage did not win the argument; he did not even get to cross the bridge; in the end, he was reduced to cannibal-fodder.
Sometimes in our obsession to be right, we lose sight of the goal and lose the game. What would have happened if he had allowed the king to pass? He would have been on the other side, alive, albeit a little late and with a dented ego. Would that have been so terrible? Though learned, sage was not wise enough to realize, in the long run, being right does not matter; winning does.
We often fall into the trap of ewanting to be rightf. Righteous indignation is a self-indulgent path, one that often distracts us from our destination.
Sometimes, when one finds oneself on a narrow bridge with an opponent on the other side, it helps to ask what matters more ? getting the other to turn around or getting oneself across the bridge.
Does this mean to win one must never try to be right? No, it does not mean that. Winning is one thing, being right is another thing. We must not confuse issues. It is possible with be win and be right. But when the choice is between winning and being right, one needs to choose wisely. More often than not, we prefer being right because it pampers the ego in the short-term. In the long-term, however, winning yields better results.
Dats what it seems happening on my professional career growth ... I had sense a lot of roadblocks from within the team whu r vry cunning enuf , by hook or crook ,trying to wage a war and trying to race ahead of me...
Its enuf and enuf ... , Its time for me to act wise and let not others decide my destiny
..If i can reach up here , i better knuw huw to reach the top....
Let it be a warning to all whu underestimate or play smart wid me..
ppl will respect u on the respect and attention u give dem ,,
i do knuw emotions and feelings are no part of offical life..so lets move ahead purely on the basis of ur talents and not ass-licking ur bosses
Do you wanna play de hard way ..! den letz compete and race , but do seek the moral from the above story.
i knw dis is a mean f****ing world... im knwn for comebacks and i luv winning , its gonna hit u hard ......... Dont mess ! Me a sportsperson at the end of the day !
Cheers and have a Nice Day ! :)
