Leaders Read#121

👋 Hello everyone,

Robert H. Schuller said, "What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?”

Here are a few resources you might have missed:

• Book notes: The Power of Regret by Daniel H. Pink

• Book notes: Bringing Out the Best in People by Alan Loy McGinnis

• All 206 Book notes for your enjoyment

• Catch-up: #1 - #120 Leaders Read Newsletters

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📚 Book Summary:

This week's book is "Right Kind of Wrong" by Amy Edmondson.

Amy Edmondson blends research with real-world leadership. The book helps leaders understand what’s happening beneath the surface when projects fail—and how to reduce avoidable mistakes while learning from the failures that matter.

One of my favorite takeaways from the book is this:

"Larry Wilson put it simply: Are you playing to win? Or playing not to lose? Playing to win meant a willingness to take risks in pursuit of challenging goals and satisfying relationships. Playing not to lose, which most of us do most of the time, meant avoiding where failure was possible. Playing to win, Larry maintained, was the stuff of great advances and great joy alike but necessarily brought setbacks along the way. Playing not to lose meant playing it safe, settling for activities, jobs, or relationships where you feel in control. The decision, Larry would be quick to explain, was essential cognitive. You could make up your mind to play to win and thus start on the path to changing your thinking."

✅ Actionable advice:

Choosing to play to win often starts with a simple realization: you likely have far less to lose than you think. Jim Dethmer puts this well when he asks what would change if you truly believed you already had security, control, and approval—if you were already accepted, valued, and safe. When you recognize how much fear is behind the urge to protect, its grip begins to loosen. This week, pick one decision where you feel the pull to protect instead of advance, and choose to play to win.

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Have a great week!