<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[I LEAD to Win™]]></title><description><![CDATA[Defensible Preference for Winning Capability]]></description><link>https://www.ileadtowin.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Wed, 26 Aug 2026 13:35:30 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.ileadtowin.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[The difference between a seven and a nine (and why it's not what you think)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Most bid teams can produce a seven. Producing a nine is a different discipline. What separates credible from high-scoring is not length, effort, or capability. It is calibration to how evaluators actually score under pressure.]]></description><link>https://www.ileadtowin.com/post/seven-vs-nine</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a40b18cb689f567a9e36ec7</guid><pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 2026 07:55:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/895d3c_0f984a2738454fb8826e7af9d9228f1a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_763,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Elie Elia</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why your win rate varies with who leads the bid (and how to fix it)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Most organisations that win bids inconsistently share a common structural pattern. The capability lives in individuals rather than in systems. Occasional wins are a function of who showed up. Consistent wins are a function of what the organisation has built.]]></description><link>https://www.ileadtowin.com/post/improve-bid-win-rate</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a40cf29ad71d3b6876cebb8</guid><pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 2026 07:55:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/895d3c_1dfbea86d16e46bc8d86b25caf6ece8d~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_684,h_430,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Elie Elia</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Writing does not create preference. Strategy does.]]></title><description><![CDATA[Writing does not create preference. Strategy does. Why bid strategy, not bid writing, determines outcome in competitive tenders. The thinking that happens before the writing starts is where preference is won or lost.]]></description><link>https://www.ileadtowin.com/post/bid-strategy-vs-writing</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a40c70ed3770ea960efa0a9</guid><pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 2026 07:55:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/895d3c_b1fcef9d80b54a26b22d2a033dfcde99~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Elie Elia</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The claim that can't be verified is the claim that doesn't score]]></title><description><![CDATA[Capable bid teams produce responses that score in the sixes. Not because the capability is absent. Because the evidence on the page does not meet the standard required for a defensible score. The claim that can't be verified is the claim that doesn't score.]]></description><link>https://www.ileadtowin.com/post/bid-evidence-standards</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a40be4fad71d3b6876cc732</guid><pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 2026 07:55:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/895d3c_8abb5072de6046b7b19a604822670691~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Elie Elia</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why evaluators don't select the best submission]]></title><description><![CDATA[Strong teams lose bids they deserve to win. Not because they lack capability, but because evaluators do not select the best submission. They select the one they can most confidently defend. The foundational piece on defensible preference. ]]></description><link>https://www.ileadtowin.com/post/why-evaluators-dont-select-the-best-submission</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a321414655fbab8671189f2</guid><pubDate>Wed, 17 Jun 2026 03:27:16 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/895d3c_dba52c2f5ef3472ab8690945b1b7a47e~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Elie Elia</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>