What Businesses Can Learn from NBA Champions Golden State Warriors

Why “Strength in Numbers” is a rallying cry for businesses

Analogies between the world of sports and business leadership is nothing new, and we all thrive on the comeback story through strategic play, team spirit, and relentless pursuit of excellence.?

Today I’m reminded of that as the Golden State Warriors make a pit stop for their season opening “Tip Off” event at RingCentral’s HQ in Belmont—with all the fanfare including their championship trophy, 2015 NBA champion Festus Ezeli, plus lots of swag and giveaway tickets to games.?

Although I’m not a Bay Area native and I only just recently moved here, I am more than thrilled for the Golden State Warriors success this year in winning the 2022 NBA championship and having the chance to see their “Tip Off” event right here at RingCentral.?

The lessons from the world of sports are perhaps even more powerful, more relevant, and have an even more enduring impact on our everyday lives and work practices—especially as I reflect back on the past couple years.?

The pandemic challenged our fundamental human desire to connect with family, friends and work colleagues in a meaningful way. To borrow the phrase, “necessity is the mother of invention”, family groups, and entire global organizations leap-frogged technology transitions to quickly switch to cloud communications and digital transformation.

Rising to the challenge??

So, in the face of adversity, we rose to the challenge and embraced new ways of creating meaningful connections while being physically distant from each other. We’ve all heard the coaching pep talk—“don’t drop the head”—face the challenge, believe and be confident in your success. When each member of the team rises to the challenge, we get strength in numbers—the slogan of the Golden State Warriors—which is their culture philosophy on and off the court.??

As leaders we need to be deliberate and intentional about the workplace culture we create to build team resilience, a spirit of connection and togetherness, where each individual plays a vital role in the success of the team. Just as any professional sporting team plans their strategic offense and defense, practices their play and nurtures team spirit, the job of the coach and the leader is to create the environment that makes this possible.

Stronger Together?

At RingCentral we believe being Stronger Together helps us embrace hybrid work.

It's about creating the right culture and work environment that puts some of the joy back into work through moments of connection.??

Stronger Together is our slogan for how we work together in a hybrid model but it means more than that—it transcends hybrid work and has meaning beyond this. It’s about recognizing that each player on the court—whether you are the power forward, the shooting guard, or the center—plays a vital role in the overall team performance—through skillful play, understanding of the strategy or “game plan,” and supporting each other.??

Leadership is a Team Sport?

So, while leadership might set the strategy and create the vision—it takes a team effort to execute successfully and drive a winning performance. As with the Golden State Warriors strength in numbers slogan, at RingCentral our Stronger Together approach is more than just a slogan. It embodies our spirit toward creating the right environment where teamwork and human connection remain at the heart of our culture and where everyone plays a vital role in our future success.?