People who are making decisions about the future often don't have access to some of the best ideas in the company, which may be at the periphery or at lower levels.

Winning becomes easier over time as the cornerstones of confidence become habits.

... people are capable of more than their organizational positions ever give them the tools or the time or the opportunity to demonstrate.

Life is full of cycles that have a way of perpetuating themselves. Success and failure both feed on themselves. Things can go downhill quickly, with people bogged down by ineffective behavior and poor teamwork, unless leaders intervene to shift the cycle.

Everything looks like a failure in the middle.

People often resist change for reasons that make good sense to them, even if those reasons don't correspond to organizational goals. So it is crucial to recognize, reward, and celebrate accomplishments.

Sometimes you lose - perhaps because you play against the very best, or because surprises happen - but if there is organizational confidence, you bounce back from losses and convert them to successes.