Why Winning with Character Is the Only Way to Win The conditioning begins early in our lives. Great achievements will bring lasting happiness and fulfillment; great achievements form the bedrock of stable self-esteem and strong character; great achievements will become the foundation for a successful life. If these well-intentioned promises are true, why does winning never seem to be enough? In The Only Way to Win, Jim Loehr draws upon two decades of work with Fortune 500 executives; world-class athletes such as Monica Seles, Dan Jansen, and Eric Lindros; and other high achievers at the Human Performance Institute (HPI) to reveal surprising insights about achievement motivation. Specifically, Loehr finds that the blind pursuit of external achievement often results in emptiness, addiction, and, ironically, poor performance. It’s not really about what you achieve, he argues, it’s about who you become as a consequence of the chase. As Loehr powerfully demonstrates, success at work and fulfillment in life require a complete re-purposing of achievement, one where value is derived from growth in areas such as integrity, honesty, gratefulness, humility, optimism, and compassion. To help readers start this process, he provides them with the tools they need to develop these character traits, as well as the plan they need to use them effectively. A compelling, practical, and hopeful read filled with relatable stories and useful exercises, The Only Way to Win will serve as a powerful wake-up call for business leaders, employees, teachers, and coaches. It will also provide inspiration for readers looking to perform better, achieve more, and change both their own lives and those of the people they influence. Jim Loehr is a world-renowned performance psychologist, co-founder of the HumanPerformance Institute, and author of fifteen books, including his most recent, The Power of Story. He also co-authored the national bestseller The Power of Full Engagement. Over the course of his career, Loehr has worked with hundreds of world-class performers from the arenas of sports, business, medicine, and law enforcement, including Fortune 100 executives, FBI Hostage Rescue Teams, and military Special Forces. Corporate clients of the Institute represent hundreds of Fortune 500 companies including GlaxoSmithKline, Procter & Gamble, The EstÉe Lauder Companies, PepsiCo, and Citigroup Smith Barney. A sampling of his elite clients from the world of sports include golfers Mark O’Meara and Justin Rose; tennis players Jim Courier, Monica Seles, and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario; boxer Ray Mancini; hockey players Eric Lindros and Mike Richter; and Olympic gold medal speed-skater Dan Jansen. Loehr and his work have been mentioned in leading national publications including the Harvard Business Review, BusinessWeek, Fortune, Newsweek, Time, U.S. News and World Report, Success, Fast Company, and Omni. He has appeared on NBC’s Today show, ABC’s Nightline with Ted Koppel, The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, CBS Morning News, and the Oprah Winfrey Show. He lives in Orlando, Florida. Praise for The Only Way to Win “Jim takes the challenge to achieve success to a new level—one where winning with character and values leads to a life of significance and long-term happiness.”—Steve Reinemund, Dean of Wake Forest Schools of Business and Former CEO, PepsiCo “Jim’s latest book, The Only Way to Win, builds on his four decades of work with high achievers in sport and business linking character and purpose in an extraordinary way.” —Chip Bergh, CEO, Levi Strauss & Co. “If you read no other book this year, give this gift to yourself, to those you lead, your family, and to anyone for whom you wish to make a positive impact on their lives.”—Phebe Farrow Port, Senior Vice President, Global Management Strategies, The EstÉe Lauder Companies “Over the years of working with Jim, I have learned how to make a deep investment in character and push my employees and colleagues to achieve more. Jim has it exactly right—character trumps everything!”—Charlie Kim, CEO, Next Jump “Jim Loehr has plumbed the depths of human endeavor and offers us an opportunity to confront our most cherished life goals and come out a winner.”—Rear Admiral Ray Smith, US Navy (Ret), Former Commander, US Navy SEALs