Those drafting the players, making the trades, and investing in talent development to better the team have seen every variety of success and failure. Some years, it is the unsung rookie who comes out of nowhere, wins a spot on the roster, and sets the world on fire with his skills. Other times, it’s the proven veteran who grew complacent and stopped evolving his gifts. The magic chemistry of the season is concocted from an accumulation of these stories.
Every campaign has surprises and disappointments. These results are not random. The rhyme and reason to professional sports team success is the same as it is in business. The teams that elevate their goals, exceed expectations, and reward shareholders have the following things in common:
INVESTMENT
Every single member of the organization buys into a culture of accountability to a particular way of doing things that reflects the team’s philosophy, mission, values, and vision on a daily basis.
TRUST
The integrity of commitment is practiced and modeled without supervision. Teammates collaborate towards a common goal for the intrinsic reward and devotion to each other.
INNOVATION
Continuous improvement arises from the courage to be creative and experiment with something new. It’s easy to do what you’ve always done when it brings satisfactory results. Stretching to the next level requires the willingness to assume risk. These are usually the team leaders regardless of rank or status.
DISTANCING
Adapting to the natural cycles of wins and losses takes poise and flexibility. Staying cool under pressure allows teammates to stay in a zone of peak performance while opponents and competitors are misdirecting their energy. Rebooting solves many problems.
As the new seasons unfold, our roles will either add or subtract from the performance of each of the teams in our circles. What an opportune time to decide what your contribution will be.
