There’s a phrase that could circle the world with a line of experts, consultants and life coaches out there that always want to relate Sports and Business. It’s overused and I’m pretty much tired of all of the constantly used metaphors. But here’s why: it’s the Lebron James syndrome.
It’s all about the Star. You can replace Lebron’s name with Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant. Even the NFL is all about the Stars with Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and so on. The problem is that Business wants to use the same examples and that’s where it all goes wrong.
That approach only focuses on the individual, not the Team. While Michael Jordan was famous for saying the quote when berated about teamwork, “there’s no I in Team but there is in Win” everyone forgets he played for and was coached by the master of teamwork, Zen Master Phil Jackson.
This Lebron Syndrome carried over to this year’s NBA finals. Everyone thought the Star focused team of the Miami Heat would beat the team focused, no-names of the San Antonio Spurs. Wow, did they have it wrong. Why? Because a team of individuals will never beat a team of team players. Always, in sports or business.
Here’s where I COMPLETELY divert from all of my peers. I approach this topic of Business and Sports the exact opposite of everyone else.
I like to think of taking Sport and applying it to Business but by taking the pricinples of sport and using them, really applying them, to your business (and personal) life.
So, we’ll stick with basketball for my examples.
The Spurs destroyed the Star based Heat because of teamwork. Let’s look at some key components:
Passing. Team play is predicted on passing the ball. You do this because you TRUST that your teammate will either score OR the ball will come back your way. It might get back to you in the same play. Or, it might be in a few plays. But the key is to be unselfish. It shouldn’t matter who takes the shot, as long as the team wins.
Shots: not everyone on the court can shoot the ball in the same play. That’s why teams of Superstars rarely mesh. There’s only one basketball so it’s not enough to go around. Team play focuses on the best shot. Even passing up a good shot for a great shot.
Mistakes: In sports, you miss. Even in basketball, the best player, say someone like Shaq (Shaquille O’Neal), only makes 60% of his shots (I’m not talking about the free throw line!). So, he misses 40% of his shots. In baseball, player can get in the Hall of Fame by only getting on base 33 times out of 100. However, n business or life, it’s not that forgiving. We put so much focus on mistakes. But if we took our mindset in sport and applied it to business, we would be far more tolerant of ourselves, and more importantly, of others, about mistakes.
Role: In sports, not everyone can be the Star. For a Team to really win, there has to be role players, not just scorers. As great as say Lebron James can be, he only started really winning when he had better role players around him in Miami. Same in business. Not everyone can be the Superstar. But EVERYONE matters. And, if any one person doesn’t do their role fully, it costs the team or business.
Timing: Basketball is all about timing. Knowing where your teammate will be, even before he gets there. It’s called “anticipation.” Business is the same way. You want to learn to anticipate. The better you develop this skill, you’re ENTIRE business life will change and expand.
Flow: The most important aspect of Team Play in basketball is flow. Passing the ball is predicated on flow. Defense is based on disrupting the flow of the other team. Flow translates to momentum. What we focus on expands. Think of a car at the top of a hill in San Francisco. Those hills are super steep. Say, just for fun, you nudged your car a little and watched it roll. At the top of the hill, that little nudge barely moves it and you can run over and stop the car before it builds any momentum. But, you surely wouldn’t want to try the same trick and attempt to stop the car at the bottom. That’s momentum. Business is all about momentum, positive or negative.
Being Present: Players talk of “being in the zone.” That’s the feeling where they feel the game slow down, they feel a step ahead and it seems like they can’t miss. If you play sports or listen to players describe this feeling, the words focus and being present will always pop up. That’s because what “being in the zone” really is about it getting out of your head, not thinking, and becoming very present in the moment. There’s a clarity and peace that comes with this state. And, trust me, this is a physiological state and it’s repeatable. You can learn to model these attributes. I know. I’ve learned to put myself in that state in my business life, not just on the basketball court. You do this by breathing, focusing and becoming more aware. Sure, there’s a little Zen Master, Phil Jackson, buddha, meditation stuff in this but the essence is that you’re in the moment. In this go-go world we live in of 24/7 and distractions in every moment and on every screen, Being Present provides even more value to the quality of your work, and life, than it did 20 years ago. If you don’t believe me, just Test It. Next time you have something important to do, try this. Don’t multitask. Don’t have the TV and your iPad on. Don’t be thinking about your To Do List or the next call you need to make. Take a deep, deep breath, close your eyes for 10 seconds and then put on your game face. Focus. Then, see how much better you perform.
To wrap up, if you can take your mindset of a sport you play or watch and apply it in business, it will transform the way you “play” your work life. Try it and see for yourself.