CLIMB: Building a Winning Culture

The world of sports is well known for its many prolific “buzz” words and terms that rotate through the lexicon of commentators, fans, and players, often seeping beyond their initial microcosm into the vocabulary of the world at large. There are phrases that refer to specific types of players such as “GOAT,” “clutch,” and “role player.” There are phrases that refer to the nature of the sport such as “it’s a business,” and “you are what your record says you are.” But of all the expressions out there, there is one specific word that, while having originated far outside of athletics, is being voiced more and more by struggling organizations, and synonymous more and more with successful ones. That word is “culture.” This is for good reason. Although they often struggle to act accordingly, organizations recognize now more than ever that talent alone does not lead to success. There are just so many factors involved in winning a single game, let alone a championship. From injuries to schedule to matchups, you can do everything right and still not come out on top. And because of the natural turnover in talent, to succeed over a longer period of time is nearly impossible. In reality, the only thing a team can control is the culture – the values it espouses and environment it surrounds its talent with – in an attempt to maximize whatever potential exists in the locker room. However, despite the considerable consideration it is given, it seems organizations as a whole struggle, and find building this ideal game-changing culture to be rather elusive. Perhaps a roadmap would help. By taking a look at the history and best practices of successful organizations, we can start to paint a picture, and draw a model to follow. With that in mind there are five basics tenants I’d like to suggest and present via the acronym CLIMB: Continuity; Leadership; Identity; Marketing the identity; Behavioral-based assessment.

Continuity

One of the most antagonizing things about following a perennial loser[1] is observing your team “rebuild,” “reconstruct,” set a new direction, and hire new leadership… all just to do it again once it inevitably fails. Culture, by its very nature is deep rooted. One cannot possibly except a new regime to fully consummate a fresh environment within the organization in just a handful of years, let alone one or two seasons. And it’s not just the flailing, impatient, teams that need strengthening in this area. Many successful teams often choose to hire or sign the big, exciting name available rather than form and execute on a succession plan that could build on the current foundation. On the other hand, there are those who have weaponized their ability to grow talent from within as a way of sustaining their winning approach. consider the Pittsburgh Steelers who have had only 3 head coaches since 1969 – a period of time in which the rest of the NFL have had an average of almost 14 coaches per team[2]. Of course, the Steelers have also been the most consistent when it comes to winning – capturing 6 Super Bowls and 39 winning seasons during the modern era. In fact, the Steelers have had only 1 losing season since the 1999 season! While the Steelers have gone outside of the organization to make these rare hires, the organization has clearly put a premium on identifying individuals who embody the values of the team and has given these leaders the runway to integrate and build upon the foundations of its predecessors. While discovering one’s identity may be the first step (described below) continuity is integral to entrenching that identity into every fiber of the organization so that it is felt by everyone who walks into the building.

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Leadership

It is true that leaders often get too much credit for success and too much blame for failure, but this is only because of the influence they ought to yield. In order to build a cultural identity, it needs to be personified and modeled by those in the organization who others respect, desire to delight, and even look to emulate. Leadership is not just about those with formal management titles – your coaches, GMs, and the like. Leaders encompasses those on the field as well, whether they be captains, top players, or those that simply have a sphere of influence and presence. From John Wooden at UCLA to Vince Lombardi in Green Bay, there are of course a myriad of coaches who have successfully established a winning culture. On the player side, there are some fantastic examples as well. Take the Miami Heat and Udonis Haslem. Haslem played for the Heat for 20 seasons helping them to three championships. But what makes him so unique is that Haslem barley played at all for his last 8 seasons. So why keep him on the roster? Because his impact went far beyond what he accomplished on the court. Haslem was highly respected amongst the rest of the team and became the epitome of the gritty “Heat Culture” that the team aspires for[3]. It’s no wonder then, why upon retiring Haslem was immediately hired by the Heat to work in the front office. Beyond identifying the right leaders, it’s equally critical to ensure the various levels of leaders – from management to coaching to players are all aligned in their approach. Team building needs to start with the right leaders in place first. Identify these leaders and leadership attributes through the lens of the culture you seek to establish.

Identity

Like any other aspect of business, your culture needs to be a strategic endeavor. And like any other strategy, you build with end in mind. This is why the identity – the image you wish your organization to project – is at the core of establishing the right culture. Start by identifying your values, then the characteristics that make up those values, and then the behaviors that you’d expect to see by those who have those characteristics. The Yankees, the most storied franchise in perhaps all of American sports, have one of the most recognizable identities. I would term this identity “professionalism.” Perhaps the most recognizable aspect of this is the Yankees famed “appearance policy.” While other organizations allow for players to use unique hairstyles as expressions of personality, the Yankees demand that each player have a clean look – no long hair and no facial hair allowed other than a mustache. The policy was enacted in the 1970’s by since deceased owner George Steinbrenner as a way instilling a sense of discipline. And that’s the key the point – everything from style of play to the style of the player’s hair must fit the espoused values of the organization – in this case a value of discipline. A similar on-field example could be derived from Bill Belichick and Tom Brady’s Patriot teams that were notorious for promoting “The Patriot Way” and holding individual accountability with their “do your job” mantra. Again, dictating everything through their values of accountability and attention to detail. Once you discover your team’s identity, and really believe in it, everything else become that much clearer. It is the lens, compass, and driver that all decisions must be made through.

Market the Identity ?

Because of its centrality, a team’s identity must be strengthened both through tangible artifacts that exist within the organization, and by communicating it externally as well. Everything from team sayings, logos, and even the way the locker room is decorated should reflect the identity. Outwardly, things like merchandise and game-day experiences should send a similar message. The Los Angeles Lakers, one the most successful NBA teams of all time, are notorious for their connection to Hollywood and the entertainment industry. They’ve developed a culture of glitz and glam befitting of L.A. and have fully leaned into it in every way. They attract celebrities to sit courtside at their home games and treat their uniforms and other merchandise as iconic and integral pieces of the broader culture of the area. It’s hard to say which came first, but all of this is a clear reflection of their player-as-idol approach -promoting player brands above all else, in a way that that keeps their guys – and by extension the team – at the center of the NBA universe. Where other teams may focus on building from within, the Lakers have typically owed their success to attracting iconic players who are befitting of their iconic brand – from Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, and LeBron James, they’ve utilized their unique identity to recruit the best of the best[4]. What makes it work is that everyone understands this fact about the Lakers – it’s no secret. If you are a successful player looking to promote yourself further – the Lakers are where you want to be. So not only does this marketing strengthen the identity and culture further, but it makes it easier to ensure stronger cultural fits within the organization because of the transparency in values it creates. The San Antonio Spurs have been the virtual opposite to the Lakers in this regard but are very similar in the clarity in which they operate. Not surprisingly, they too have seen incredible success, albeit in a completely different way, with completely different types of players.

Behavior-based assessment:?

Sports is unlike any other industry. It's a zero-sum game which creates all kinds of unfair narratives and pressures that more often than not lead to rash decisions. Building a strong culture requires not only patient, but the ability to base decisions on more than meets the eye. Rather than a focus on wins and losses, players, coaches, and management need to be evaluated based on their specific behaviors, and to what degree these behaviors match or don’t match the team identity. Now this doesn’t mean skills and ability are not taken into consideration – a key and consistent component to any identity is going to be the ability to compete at a high level. But beyond ability, it’s the approach and specific actions of each individual that need to be primarily taken into consideration rather than statistics that are impacted by so many outside factors. Let’s again take a look at the Miami Heat for this section, specifically the history of coach Erik Spoelstra. Spoelstra has a unique background having worked his way up in the organization after starting out as a video coordinator back in the 90’s. When revered leader Pat Riely stepped down as coach in 2008, he hand-picked Spoelstra as his successor – citing his innovative approach and work ethic. After two non-descript seasons, and with LeBron James in tow, you might think Riely would make a change for a more notable leader in a quest for a championship. He did not. Sticking with the coach who did all the right things, Riely’s faith in Spoelstra proved fruitful as he led the team to four championship appearances in the next four seasons. After James left, and the team faltered over the next few seasons, you may again expect it to have been a time for a change. But Riely held firm, understanding that his coach was never the issue. The Heat have since become one of the best and most consistent teams in the league appearing in two more championships in 2020 and 2022. It can be extremely difficult to determine which exact factors lead to success, and so teams will typically fall back to basic statistics. But those numbers create a warped picture. For each level of the organization, identify a set of behaviors that align with your values and identity and use this as your true barometer. ??

While traditional organizations can manipulate their public perception to some extent, in sports everything is on the table for all to see. Multiply that with the passion and constant stream of criticism coming from a team’s fanbase, and it’s no wonder teams have struggled to stay patient in their pursuits to build a real winning culture. But the benefits are clear, even if the path there hasn’t always been. I believe sticking to these principles is the way. Identify that identity, market it, select leaders that align with it, make all decisions through it, and build a succession plan that keeps it strong for years to come. You can’t always dictate how the team plays on the field, but you can control how it approaches the game.

[1] I have experience, as a native New Yorker I route for the Mets, Jets, and Knicks.

[2] This doesn’t account for expansion teams that came to the league after 1969 – the true difference is even more stark!

[3] To the point that the phrase “Heat Culture” has been used as a moniker on the team’s uniform and home court.

[4] The Lakers have certainly drafted and/or developed some incredible players as well – notably Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant – who were also perfect cultural fits.?