Alastair Campbell shows what it takes to win in new book

Alastair Campbell on how winners succeed

Alastair Campbell knows all about winning. He spent more than a decade advising Tony Blair, helping him win three terms as British prime minister. Campbell also witnessed pivotal moments with world leaders, business innovators and royalty.

In his new book, "Winners: And How They Succeed," Campbell explores what it takes to succeed through the experiences of a wide array of accomplished individuals.

Among them are Floyd Mayweather, Queen Elizabeth, Richard Branson, and Bill Clinton, a seemingly disparate group of people who Campbell says share some key traits that drove them to the top.

"If you had to boil it down, they're strategic, they work really hard, they're resilient ... and they've got an absolute fascination with the process of what they do," Campbell said on "CBS This Morning" Wednesday. "They care more about not losing than they do about winning. They're driven by fear as much as by a desire to succeed."

He elaborated on Branson, the billionaire entrepreneur behind the Virgin Group, as an example of someone who cared more about winning than wealth. According to Campbell,Branson never went into a business venture thinking it was about money.

"He goes into it seeing an opportunity to kind of do something good and he goes for it," Campbell said.

The names of all the "winners" in the book adorn its front cover, but Campbell purposely left out cyclist Lance Armstrong, who was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles after revelations he used performance-enhancing drugs. Still, Campbell said he still wanted to remember him in a "positive light."

"He said the most extraordinary thing when I first interviewed him before he was finally exposed when he said to me, 'Losing and dying, it's the same thing.' And I thought, 'Wow, that guy is a winner. He's got a winner mindset."

Another controversial figure who is also explored in the book but failed to make the cover is Russian President Vladimir Putin, who despite being a "bad person," is a winner in his own right, Campbell said.

"I talk about the importance of knowing your objective and then working on your strategy," Campbell explained. "Putin's objective and strategy are totally aligned. They're all about the reassertion of Russian power."

Campbell said one personal reason for writing the book was to inspire his own political party, which he worries has "kind of lost the winning ways" and the "winning mindset" since its leadership change.

"Winners: And How They Succeed" is now available in the U.S.

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