When a winner makes a mistake, he says, "I was wrong;"
When a loser makes a mistake, he says, "It wasn't my fault."
A winner works harder than a loser and has more time;
A loser is always "too busy" to do what is necessary.
A winner goes through a problem;
A loser goes around it, and never gets past it.
A winner makes commitments;
A loser makes promises.
A winner says, "I'm good, but not as good as I ought to be;"
A loser says, "I'm not as bad as a lot of other people."
A winner listens;
A loser just waits until it's his turn to talk.
A winner respects those who are superior to him and tries to learn something from them;
A loser resents those who are superior to him and tries to find chinks in their armor.
A winner feels responsible for more than his job;
A loser says, "I only work here."
A winner says, "There ought to be a better way to do it;"
A loser says, "That's the way it's always been done here."
- Pat Williams; Senior Vice President of the Orlando Magic
Photo courtesy of patwilliams.com
*Taken from the book, "The Edge" by Howard Ferguson.