A Bigger Prize
By Margaret Heffernan
How We Can Do Better than the Competition. Public Affairs, 2014.
Summary of A Bigger Prize book by Margaret Heffernan
A critical reflection on society’s obsession with competition in all areas of life—which only feeds inequality and dysfunction—reasserting the value of collaboration and cooperation as sources of creativity, innovation, and a form of success that works for all.
Chapters in A Bigger Prize book summary
What do you get from this book? Insight into the damaging effects of competition and the promising benefits of cooperation
Competition is seen as a necessary motivator, but it actually produces dysfunction and inequality in many arenas
Excessive competition within the education system can be detrimental for students and doesn’t produce the best results
Men and women are taught to compete—modern romance has been turned it into a high stakes Game
An obsession with winning can affect other important areas of your life—focus on balance, not excellence at any cost
Focusing on being first can delay progress with scientific discoveries and suppress collaboration within organizations
Competition creates clones—it’s easier to copy success than be innovative and original
Bigger isn’t always better—focusing on just being the tallest, the biggest, or the strongest can lead to ruin
Competing by cutting costs is a race to the bottom where nobody wins
There is another way to live and work—sharing and cooperation lead to great achievements and a fairer society
Summary of the key insights
Selected critiques in brief
Final word
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A Bigger Prize — Book Summary Snapshot
Who should read A Bigger Prize book
- Executives and business leaders
- team leaders
- parents and guardians
- sports fans and athletes
About the author of A Bigger Prize
Margaret Heffernan
Margaret Heffernan is an experienced CEO and entrepreneur who has written successful business books and taught around the world. She enjoyed a career as an award-winning producer for the BBC and Virgin Records before serving at the helm of several large multimedia companies.
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The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Riverhead Books, 2011.
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