I've been looking at companies that are on a positive path vs. a

In the words of Rosabeth Moss Kanter, “I’ve been looking at companies that are on a positive path vs. a negative path, and I’ve come to use the language of sports, winning streaks and losing streaks.” At first glance, these words appear as the observations of a scholar, yet they echo with the wisdom of the ancients. For she draws upon the imagery of the arena—the timeless struggle of victory and defeat—to describe the fate of organizations and the destinies of those who guide them. Her insight is simple yet profound: institutions, like athletes, are not fixed in glory or failure, but are caught in cycles of momentum, shaped by spirit, discipline, and resilience.

The meaning of her words rests on the power of momentum. Just as a team on a winning streak finds confidence, energy, and courage flowing through its veins, so too does a company on a positive path discover that success begets success. The air is filled with belief, and each triumph strengthens the will to pursue the next. Conversely, a losing streak can weigh down even the most skilled players, or the most capable organizations, as doubt creeps in, mistakes multiply, and despair becomes a chain that binds the spirit. Kanter’s teaching is clear: momentum is real, and leaders must learn to nurture it when it lifts them upward, and break it when it drags them down.

The ancients themselves knew this truth in the theater of war. Consider Alexander the Great, whose armies marched across continents with the fire of winning streaks. Each battle won was not merely a contest of arms, but a reinforcement of belief, until his men felt themselves invincible. Yet history also shows the danger of negative momentum. When Hannibal, the great Carthaginian general, after years of victories, faltered in resources and morale, the tide turned. Rome, once weakened, found new spirit and pressed its advantage until Carthage fell. In both cases, the pattern is the same: the rise and fall of human endeavor often follows the rhythm of streaks, whether in sport, in war, or in commerce.

In modern times, this can be seen in the rise of companies such as Apple. Once teetering on the edge of collapse in the 1990s, it rediscovered its positive path with bold leadership, innovation, and vision. Success in one product led to confidence in another, and soon it was riding a winning streak that transformed not only the company but the world of technology. Contrast this with the decline of Kodak, which, trapped in a losing streak of missed opportunities, could not break free from its past, and thus stumbled into obscurity. These are not accidents; they are the embodiment of the principle Kanter names.

The emotional depth of this teaching lies in its recognition of the human element. Companies are not machines of profit alone; they are communities of people whose energy rises and falls like the pulse of an athlete. Leaders, like coaches, must not only plan strategies but also tend to spirit—rekindling hope in a slump, and tempering pride in a streak of victories. To use the language of sports is to acknowledge that commerce, too, is played out in the hearts of those who believe, strive, and endure together.

Thus the lesson is clear: we must be vigilant about the path we tread. If we find ourselves in a losing streak, we must not surrender, but seek the small victories that rebuild confidence and shift momentum. If we are blessed with a winning streak, we must not become complacent, but channel that energy into greater achievements. For both streaks are temporary, and the wise learn to master them rather than be mastered by them.

So, O listener, take this counsel into your life: whether in your work, your studies, or your personal journey, attend to the direction of your steps. Celebrate the positive path and guard it well. Confront the negative path with courage, refusing to let despair write your story. Remember always that you are like the athlete upon the field—sometimes lifted by victory, sometimes pressed by defeat—but always capable of choosing how you play the next game. For in the end, greatness belongs not to those who never falter, but to those who, in the face of streaks both good and ill, rise with resilience and continue onward.