Playing to Win With Dr. Robert Kriegel

Dr. Robert Kriegel took the Main Stage during Thursday’s General Session, sponsored by SDM magazine.

Kriegel, a NY Times and Businessweek best-selling author and NPR commentator, outlined bold, innovative strategies and guidelines for excelling in an intensely competitive marketplace.

Kriegel began his presentation by asking the audience how they were doing. With a very flat response, Kriegel emphasized the importance of being passionate about everything that you do. He then proceeded to give attendees a chance to answer his question again — this time, with intensity. This passion was the basis of his presentation, “Innovate or Else.”

Being PASSIONATE about your company and your industry makes you excited for growth and change. Change presents a lot of new challenges and exciting opportunities.

“It’s important to create the change — be in front of the wave,” he stressed.

Constantly rethinking, redefining and reinventing keeps anybody winning — or what he likes to call “change ready.” He moderated a quick exercise to get attendees involved which helped them see the difference between playing to win — and playing not to lose.

“If you play not to lose, it’s almost a guarantee that you will,” he said.

When you play not to lose, you become a creature of habit. Getting in the habit of making new habits is what makes for a change-ready attitude. Change happens with a creative mind and passion. When you’re having fun, creativity flows, because you’ve let go of your inhibitions.

“One of the best ways you can get creative ideas is by not only looking at the best in your industry — that’s limiting — but it’s by looking out of the box into other industries. If you wait for opportunities to happen, they will — for somebody else.”