Overcoming the Losing Culture
By Steve Backlund
We are all leaders in some way, and a big part of leadership is breaking free from the "losing culture" that can hold us back. A losing culture is a mindset that tells us we're not going to win and the challenges we face are too great to overcome.
In high school, my football team had a losing culture, but a new coach with fire and belief changed that. He taught us that great leaders are thermostatic, not thermometers. We don't just reflect our environment; we rise above it by thinking, acting, and talking higher than our circumstances.
The first losing culture we have to overcome is within ourselves. The devil is a liar, constantly telling us we're less than and can't do great things. Great leaders have great beliefs, great priorities, and great habits (in that order). The most important person we lead is ourselves. It is vital to inspire and lead ourselves well. We all have areas where we feel like we are losing; whether it is finances, career, or relationships. It is clear from scripture that we are not losers (see 2 Corinthians 5:17, Joshua 1:8, 2 Timothy 1:7). We are not fighting for victory, but from victory. I love to say, “I’m winning, too!”. I start each day by declaring, "This is going to be a great day, a day of victory, breakthrough, and freedom," and often say, "This is going to be the best day of my life!" I believe we are to speak victory, not defeat, like sports teams in the locker room.
Here are six keys to overcome the defeatist mindset and break off the losing culture:
Stop confusing feelings with truth. Our feelings don't validate truth, they just validate what we believe is true. We don’t deny our feelings, but ultimately we cannot get our beliefs from them. God is empowering us right now to live by faith (believing higher than what we feel).
Replace "I have to" with "I get to". This simple shift in perspective can change everything. It moves us from tiresome obligatory living into energetic, cheerful faith.
Replace "I can't" with "I won't". This empowers you to take ownership of your choices. The “I can’t” mindset reflects powerlessness, while the “I won’t” reinforces that we are a powerful person.
Embrace the power of making faith declarations. Speaking life is one of the most vital ingredients in overcoming the losing culture. Sports teams understand this principle. They speak victory before a game. Even if they lose, they don’t say, “Let’s be more pessimistic before the next game.” No, they know it is a process to overcome the defeatist mindset.
Remember that losses don't define you. You are who God says you are, not what your circumstances say you are. A toddler learning to walk has many seeming losses, but they don’t quit. They are our example to never quit.
Create systems in your life to stay encouraged. A system is something we establish to “bump into” which increases the likelihood of victorious feelings and victorious circumstances. These include systems like church attendance, podcasts, regular prayer and Bible reading, accountability meetings, using a declaration tally counter, connecting with others, etc.
Just as my football coach helped us overcome a losing culture (after steady improvement, we won our league’s championship in his fourth year), we too get to overcome losses and change the cultures in our homes, neighborhoods, cities, churches, and more. Lord, we say, “Send us to bring hope and a ‘Yes, we can!’ attitude everywhere we go.”