Reading List: Win at Losing

Sports reporter Sam Weinman didn’t know how to guide his sons through losses at school and on the field. To learn more, he interviewed high-profile achievers who had survived public defeat, including athletes, entertainers, politicians and executives. Weinman learned that real success comes not in spite of but because of loss, humiliation and rejection.

Weinman counters NFL quarterback Cam Newton, who walked out of a press conference following a Super Bowl loss, later saying “Show me a good loser, and I’ll show you a loser.” On the contrary, Weinman says, being a good loser “implies perspective and resilience and the quiet confidence that the world will not crumble around you because of a fleeting setback.” He supports the point with the stories of golfer Greg Norman, politician Michael Dukakis, actress Susan Lucci and others.

How Our Biggest Setbacks Can Lead to Our Greatest Gains
By Sam Weinman
December; TarcherPerigee; $26

Related: 7 Challenges Successful People Overcome

This article originally appeared in the December 2016 issue of SUCCESS magazine.