Two weeks ago, the NCAA selected the top college basketball teams across the country by offering them an invite to March Madness. Four regions with 16 teams each. Each region would have a Number 1 seed. Kansas, Syracuse, Duke and Kentuckywere given the Number 1 seeds. And within days following the selection, the madness began. In fact one report circulated that the number of scheduled vasectomies increases by 50 percent the day before the first tip-off of March Madness. It appears the recovery time from this procedure is two days, which means two days to watch basketball non-stop with a doctor’s order to do nothing but rest and relaxation. For some, this is evidently a win-win scenario.
Despite the rampant enthusiasm that can surround March MADNESS, several leadership lessons are noteworthy. Some of these being:
1. Winning Teams Get Better: Winning teams figure out how to be at the top of their game. This is accomplished through conditioning, coaching and creating that “can do” confidence.
2. The Best Team Doesn’t Necessarily Win: This year’s tournament has been filled with unexpectant upsets. In fact only one #1 seeded team advanced to the Final Four, this being Duke. In business and basketball, major upsets occur everyday.
3. Competitive Advantage: Basketball coaches and business leaders must identify their competitive advantage and then figure out how to leverage it in the marketplace. This is achieved by understanding the market, asking lots of questions, and then leveraging your advantage(s) to achieve success.
4. Leverage Talent: Winners simply figure out how to leverage talent, and then figure out how to utilize it to their advantage.
5. Respect the Opponent: Upsets occur everyday in basketball and business. Teams win because they want to win, not because they deserve to win.
6. Good at the Little Things: Great teams spend a lot of time on doing the basics really well. And when you look at how teams lose, it can often be tied back to how they fail at the little things.
7. Momentum: Momentum is often overlooked, however its importance is paramount. Winning teams know how to build momentum over a season, and how to leverage it second-by-second in a game. In the game of business, momentum is integral to success.
8. Communication: Winning teams know how to communicate really well. They listen. They watch. They move to the open spot on the floor.
March is a special time of the year, especially for basketball fans. For many players, its the end of the season and the end of their careers as basketball players. However, the lessons learned on the court can be directly transferred to life and to business. Unfortunately, too many athletes forget these important lessons. At the end of the day it boils down to talent, leadership and team, and this is what makes basketball, business and March Madness special.
