Why China’s Xi Jinping Just Proved Covey’s Win-Win Model Is Dead

Stephen Covey told us to seek win-win. Xi Jinping just proved that’s a fantasy.

In a world of hypercompetition, asymmetrical power, and strategic dominance, “mutual benefit” isn’t leadership—it’s denial. Covey’s model was built for trust-based stability. Today’s leaders face volatility, geopolitical realignment, and breakneck complexity.

If you’re still managing with a model that assumes fairness, you’re not leading—you’re being played.

It’s time to bury win-win.
And build the kind of leadership that survives what’s actually coming.