4 Business Lessons From The Boys Of Fall
Let the games begin! As fall football season is upon us, I love learning the stories behind the players, coaches and teams. Athletic competition is the perfect arena in which to learn the basics of developing a competitive edge, giving your best even when the odds are stacked against you, and never quitting. But if you dig deeper, I believe there are some more specific things that can be learned in sports that are critical to your personal and business success. Here are 4 of my favorites.
- Who can forget Brad Pitt in Moneyball playing Billy Beane, the down but not out General Manager of the 2002 Oakland A’s. The movie retells the story of the Oakland A’s sprint to the top despite a low budget and huge odds. So many lessons here including the fact that there are always new ways of doing business that you just haven’t found yet, the guy with the most resources isn’t always the winner, and a new perspective changes everything. But my favorite take away is that EVERY business has a moneyball “statistic”. Your job is to find what drives your business and focus on it with unrelenting passion. That will be YOUR Moneyball secret.
- A perfect season. Wouldn’t we all want to have one of those in our business? The Miami Dolphins experienced that magic in 1976 under the leadership of Don Schula. A principle I share nearly weekly with someone in my organization comes from this legend- the 24 hour rule. After a win, the team had 24 hours to celebrate. If that Sunday was a defeat, 24 hours were allowed to wallow in the defeat. Either way, there was a new opportunity the next week so the focus had to move forward. So applicable to business!
- Who you are today is not who you have to be tomorrow. Kurt Warner is my inspiration for this principle. After being let go from the Green Bay Packers, Kurt returned home working to support his family including stocking grocery shelves at night at the reported wage of $5.50 an hour. His legacy includes going on to complete 41 touchdowns taking the Rams to victory in Super Bowl XXXIV. Opportunity never closes all the doors!
- Lastly, who could forget British sprinter Derek Redmond at the Olympics in Barcelona in 1992. He was crushed by a hamstring injury in the middle of the semi- final race. The lesson most cited is his unwavering dedication to finish the race. The impression I went away with is the importance of support and your network. In this case, his family network. We all cried as we watched his father break his way through security down to the track, put his arm around his son and help him finish the race. WOW! We all need that kind of support.
As the “Are You Ready For Some Football” chant begins, I know I am. Can’t wait to see what is in store.