The "Dream Team" Has Yet To Wake Up

Where Did You Get Your MBA? At the 2011 NBA Finals?

I was speaking this week to a CEO about his business.  When we were through, he asked me what I thought about the NBA Finals.  I gave him my take on it, but later I thought that my answers to his questions about business were no different from my take aways from the playoff series.  Success happens when you do things the right way, whether in sports or in business.  

Here are my business lessons:

Vision 


Dallas was on a mission of vindication and pride, but also established a strong following (outside of Miami) with those who wanted to see Miami lose because of what the Heat stood for and represented.

• A clear team mission that is bigger than oneself is more important than individual missions. 

Leadership

• Leadership is more important than talent.
• Leadership is earned not taken. 

From Mark Cuban to Rick Carlisle to Dirk Nowitzki, the Dallas Mavericks displayed more leadership than their opponents.  Humility, community, character and culture are more important than individuality, swagger and arrogance.   

Teamwork 

• Teamwork trumps talent.
• Team chemistry is critical.  Chemistry takes time.
• Role players are as important as stars.

Execution

Both offensively and defensively, the Mavericks had a plan and stuck with their plan to the end.  Crisp passing and hitting the open man overcame LeBron James and Dwyane Wade taking turns in one-on-one isolation.   

• Teamwork is about workflow:  creating clear communication and roles; and making smooth passes, handoffs, transitions, and spacing.  Workflow is key.  Systems and process issues can hide problems.  Workflow fixes will illuminate talent and competency problems.  
• Execution wins championship.
• Winning is about closing the deal and finishing strong.

Mindset

Dallas had the confidence, focus, perseverance, tenacity and mental toughness to prevail.  When the games were on the line, they did not choke.  They did not overthink things, because they had a plan.  When they meet adversity, the Heat responded with a lack of confidence and resolve.  

Patience

Miami set themselves up last summer for the expectation that they had to win now. They created pressure and impatience. When they faltered, they panicked.  It was a recipe for failure. Dallas had been building the team in steps and were ready to win now.

• Championships take time.
• Continuous improvement bests talent.  
• Learning from mistakes is crucial.
• There are few overnight fixes.
• Success and excellence come in stages.    
• Organization continuity will trump an quick influx of talent.

Flexibility  

Dallas made adjustments to whatever their opponents through at them, Miami never adjusted their style of play.  In the playoffs, the Mavericks played and beat a young and hungry team, a former championship team, and a team of superstars in succession. They adapted and won.  

Leadership Lessons: The Pursuit of Osama bin Laden

Perhaps not since President John F. Kennedy stared down the Soviets during the Cuban Missile Crisis in the 1960's has a United States President been so clearly in charge and purposeful (at a time when perhaps his political career was so on the ropes).  

In successfully pursuing and eliminating Osama bin Laden, President Barack Obama displayed and has continued to display an inspiring level of leadership that has earned the respect of this country and our allies abroad.  President Obama has established a strong legacy and has solidified his stance as a respected leader here and throughout the world. His place in history is now safe. He is the leader that we hoped for and expected when we elected him.  He took his role as Commander-in-Chief seriously and took responsibility when it was most needed.  

So, what did he do?  What leadership model does he leave for us to follow?

• Vision:   Single-minded Pursuit of a Desired Outcome
• Responsibility and Accountability for Doing the Right Thing
• Patience
• Tenacity
• Perseverance

It took 10 years for us to find bin Laden.  We could have failed in our mission had we struck too soon or at the wrong place or without proper preparation.  We also could have struck in such a way that could have been questioned for years, particularly if we had been left with no proof of bin Laden's death.    

• Dealing with Ambiguity
• Calculated Risk Taking
• Failure not an Option

President Obama could not be assured of success, however, he moved forward when he needed to increase the likelihood of a positive outcome.  He was particularly vulnerable to attacks from political opponents.  

• Courage in the Face of Criticism
• Willingness to Accept the Consequences

President Obama used all the resources at his disposal:  strategic thinkers and experienced advisors; and deployed the right tactical strike team of the highest level of competence to achieve his goal.

• Full Use of Intelligence and Best Information Available
• Due Diligence
• Realistic Cost/Benefits Analysis
• Careful Planning
• Delegating To Those with the Right Skills

President Obama has made good decisions that have been hailed around the world as being culturally and politically sensitive when the wrong moves would have been costly, moving us backwards in the fight against terrorism and damaged our reputation with allies.  His mishandling of Osama bin Laden's remains could have been disastrous.    

• Sense of Humanity, Respect and Humility

Again, I applaud President Obama and thank all the people that were involved in this critical mission.  Congratulations.  We appreciate what you have done and what you have left us as a model for leadership. 

I Know, I Know, You Were Expecting Something Pretty

The NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Final is supposed to be a thing of athletic beauty and artistic splendor.  It is expected to be spliced into an awe inspiring "One Shining Moment" video.  Right?  


If you read what has been written and hear what has been said about the game between Butler and champion UConn, the words "ugly," "embarrassing,' "bad basketball," "poor shooting," etc. are most frequently used.  For many it was uninspiring and, certainly, not an exciting brand of basketball.  You aren't going to have many people looking at the game films or the highlights over and over, year after year.  


However, I suggest that you should look at this game very closely.  Despite the lack of beauty, one team was going to be champion.   One team would take home a trophy that every team and player in the country covets and few possess.  


What I learned from this game, is that this championship and every championship is about two teams slugging it out for supremacy. This game was about mental toughness.  It was about keeping your head in the game and never giving up.  It was about believing in your system and executing, and dealing with setback after setback.  Both teams took leads that they could have built upon.  Only one team did.   

Jeremy Lamb, UConn freshman, who gave his team a much needed spark in the second half, said, “I saw one time we scored, one of them put his head down. I said, ‘We got ‘em.’” 

This game was mental as well as physical.  This game was about effort in the face of adversity.  

"Every time we play hard, great things always happen to us," Kemba Walker, the MVP of the NCAA tournament, said.

This game was about perseverance.  It was about overcoming barriers.  It was about dealing with strong defensive pressure.  Every shot was contested.   Both teams wanted it, both teams gave maximum effort.  Both teams continued to run their offense and make adjustments to take advantage of their opponents. 


Despite being down by 3 points at halftime, Coach Jim Calhoun of UConn understood the championship would hinge on which team was able to mentally withstand the other.

"The halftime speech was rather interesting," Calhoun said. "The adjustment was we were going to out-will them and outwork them."

In the second half, UConn responded and took home the trophy.


We were unstoppable," Walker said. "That's why we're national champions."



Excerpts from CBSsports.ca and ESPN.com (April 4, 2011).

NFL Teams: Pass on Randy Moss

Talent, yes; great individual performer, yes; great individual numbers? Yes, but dwindling. Do I like to watch him? Yes, but like a train wreck.

Winner?

It's simple. Randy Moss has great talent, but has never been a winner. He is disruptive, but, more importantly, no team that has had him has been better overall because of him. Even the New England Patriots, as great as they have been, have not been back to the Super Bowl since Randy Moss has been on the team.

If you want headlines and, perhaps, an offensive (no pun intended) jolt, take Randy Moss. If you want to win, pass him by.  

Could Texas Longhorns' Downward Slide Have Been Prevented?

The Texas Longhorns' basketball team was ranked #1 in January with a 17-0 record. Since then they are 6-7. What went wrong? Their mindset is what went wrong. Or, more importantly, their head coach Rick Barnes does not seem to think that his team's mindset is in his or his players' control.

Prior to their Big-12 Conference tournament quarterfinal game with Baylor, Coach Barnes said this about assessing his team's psyche:

"I'd really be guessing if I did. Going into every game, I think that they've have the right mindset and when I watch some of the things happen I'm surprised where it comes from. I don't understand it, because I think we've got a group of guys, you would think with the way they have prepared that they would have things down. But when we do some things during the game it makes me wonder, and I don't know how I can answer that."

Barnes and his staff should be able to answer that. That is part of their job. Particularly because, mental mindset is something that you can control. Recent advances in sports psychology and mental conditioning (as evidenced by their usage in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics) are impossible to ignore anymore. The USC and Alabama football teams have used mental conditioning programs to carry their teams to BCS championships in recent years.

Predictably, Texas ran into a buzz-saw at the Big 12 quarterfinals and lost to a Baylor University that clearly had a much better mental mindset. The Baylor Bears won 86-67. Even with the loss to Baylor, Texas will be in the NCAA tournament and they still have time to regroup. But don't count on it.

"I'd like to think we still have time, but it's really mental," Texas forward Gary Johnson said. "It's not like guys aren't playing hard, so that's one positive. It's just the mental part, and I don't know how much time that actually takes to get everybody on the same page mentally. It's been that way for the past two months."

It is about time for coaches to use all the tools they have at their disposal. It is time for basketball to become as progressive as some other sports such as golf, tennis, and the winter sports.

Excerpts taken from ESPN.com.

For more mental conditioning tools, click on the Peak Performance eCoach, and request access.

For more on Peak Performance, click on The Handbook of Peak Performance.

The Mental Game of Business and Sport

“I worked very hard, especially in the mental training. One has to understand that physical fitness alone isn't sufficient. My mental training is very complex and it makes me believe in myself…. To control your mind is more difficult than to control your body.”

--German biathlete Magdalena Neuner.

Neuner came into the 2010 Vancouver Olympics with six world championship titles. However, she also has a history of wildly inconsistency in her shooting that has also left her with some equally poor results.

As in the world of elite athletes and sports, the mental game of business or the inner game of business is the key to improvement, consistency, excellence and success. Interestingly, this is the only area of business improvements that doesn’t necessarily cost anything to implement; however, hardly anyone uses it. The mental game of business – using your mind in a deliberate, orderly, and focused way is the surest manner for achieving business success.

There are several areas of the mental game of business that you can explore, like:

-Using your mental imagery or imagination to plan and to win
-Controlling your attention and your energy
-Finding your strengths, leveraging them, and playing within them
-Curing anxiety and "nerves"
-Learning to develop clearer focus and mental toughness
-Developing clear goals and articulating them concretely and effectively.

It is becoming more clear that accepting and using the inner game of business techniques is what differentiates the top 5% of business executives and managers from the rest of us. The top executives know about and use powerful goal setting and strategic thinking processes, advanced visualization techniques and mental imagery that improve every area of their performance. They understand the importance of, know how to enter "The Zone," and are able to stay there.

Recently, American Olympic women skiers Lindsay Vonn and teammate Julia Mancuso, using mental conditioning techniques, finished in the gold and silver positions at the Winter Olympics.

"Lindsey and Julia are really skilled skiers ... but there are probably 20 other women with talent close to that level. What sets them apart, in different ways, is the mental game."

--Sean McCann, senior sports psychologist for the U.S. Olympic team.

Thus far in the the Vancouver Olympics, Vonn, who lives and trains in Vail, Colo., has won gold in the downhill and bronze in the super-G, but skied out in the super-combined. Mancuso, born in Reno, Nevada, collected silvers in the downhill and super-combined.

However, all may not end well. Under difficult weather conditions, Lindsey Vonn spun out of control during Wednesday's Olympic giant slalom, breaking a finger and ending her latest medal bid, while Julia Mancuso -- Vonn's teammate and lifelong rival, not to mention the defending champion -- sped toward that same spot.

The race official waved a giant yellow flag through the driving snow and dense fog to warn Mancuso that she needed to stop. Otherwise, Mancuso would risk slamming into Vonn or a course worker helping her. Mancuso stopped and returned to the start only to ski badly on her next run.

While the race will be re-run on Thursday, Vonn is probably out due to injury and Mancuso certainly must re-group mentally to compete.

Excerpts from ESPN (February 25, 2010) the Christian Science Monitor (February 22, 2010) and The Washington Post (February 22, 2010).

For more on peak performance, click on The Handbook of Peak Performance.

For mental conditioning tools and resources, click on Peak Performance eCoach, and request access.

Business Requires Increased Use of Mental Conditioning

As I work with clients and listen to colleagues, it is clear that the old days of business are over and gone. Organizations and the environment in which they operate have changed dramatically. Owners, executives, managers, and employees are caught up in the process of doing more with less, as budgets have been slashed, and many departments have been decimated. Despite the sense of urgency, it seems to take more effort, more communication, more influence, more negotiation, and more time to execute and get results. People endure a great deal of mental pressure just to perform at yesterday's levels and the market is demanding more and more.

In addition, the margin for error with so many businesses is approaching zero. Business at any level has always required mental focus but today with so much competition and so many demands day in and day out, the mental side of doing business has become even more difficult.

The need to think strategically is equally as important. If you look at most industry verticals, the difference between winning and losing business is miniscule. That difference can be equal to hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue, not to mention the direct effects on employee morale and shareholder value.

You hear many executives talk about staying with their game plan; focusing on results; playing to win; aggressiveness; but without a solid, well-thought-out strategy the difference between winning and losing starts to widen considerably. It doesn’t take much to lose focus, reduce efficiency, alienate customers, and fall below revenue targets.

Though many executives say they do, most of them don’t think enough about strategy, mental focus and conditioning; but they should if only to perform more consistently and effectively; and get more satisfaction, success and enjoyment out of their jobs. Today there are an increasing number of tools and resources to draw from to develop an effective mental conditioning program that is specific to business professionals and management teams; proven mental techniques to help you control your emotions and stay focused on getting business results; and strategic tools and techniques to help you develop and communicate a clear and well thought-out game plan.

Thinking a bit more deliberately and strategically about how to approach business scenarios (based on your particular talents and strengths and those of you team) can make a huge difference in how you ultimately perform.

Ironically, it is the most talented executives that have the most to gain from mental conditioning. Though an average performer may benefit somewhat, with a higher-potential and more talented executive it may be significantly more; and what a difference that could make in anyone’s performance (let alone their enjoyment of their effort).

For more about mental conditioning, click on The Handbook of Peak Performance.

For mental conditioning tools, click on the Peak Performance eCoach, and request access.

Evan Lysacek Wins Olympic Gold With Pre-Skate Routine

"When I'm getting ready in my room, I drink the same thing, I light the same good-luck candle I have — it's a brand from England called Cire Trudon — I listen to the same playlist, with songs from Jay-Z to the Virgins or the Killers, happy music that will keep my emotions even and not get my heart wildly pumping. I'm engaging all my senses, telling my body, 'Okay, it's time to go to that place.' When I get to the rink, I go through pretty much the same warm-up off the ice every time, so my body is continuing to get into that super-focused mentality. About twenty minutes before I go on, I put my suit and my skates on — that's my alone time — and I talk to myself. Self-talk is very important to me," he says. "I try to conjure really difficult days, days when I was sick or jet-lagged and felt horrible, and then think, If I can get through that, I can get through anything."

--Evan Lysacek, U.S. Olympic gold medal skater, who upset Russian Yevgeny Plushenko.

Lysacek is the first U.S. male gold medal winner in skating since 1988. He attributes his win to a mental conditioning routine that includes self-talk, pre-skating rituals, self-hypnosis, and visualization.

Are you as prepared for your important events?

Excerpts from the New York Magazine, February 19, 2010. For more click on http://nymag.com/daily/sports/2010/02/how_evan_lycasek_got_ready_to.html


For more on Peak Performance, click on The Handbook of Peak Performance.

For mental conditioning assistance, click on Peak Performance eCoach and request access.

Alabama Crimson Tide Rolls to 2009 BCS Championship with Mental Conditioning Program

With great interest and anticipation, I drove Sunday, January 24, 2010 to Birmingham, Alabama to attend a celebratory program to award Alabama Crimson Tide Head Coach Nick Saban with the 2009 Leadership Innovation Award. The program and award highlighted the accomplishments of the Alabama football team.

During the acceptance speech, Coach Saban directly attributed his championship team’s chemistry and success to a mental conditioning program he employed. The mental conditioning program provided a "success mindset" that resulted in a BCS Championship win against the Texas Longhorns in the Rose Bowl.

Saban openly discussed his desire to change the culture of the team, after a 2006 losing season that, more importantly, included off-the-field misconduct and poor decision making by several members of the team during the off-season. With the help of the Pacific Institute of Seattle, the Alabama team learned about mental conditioning approaches to help them to achieve peak performance.

Opposing coaches could see the difference in the players right away.

“Alabama played with an attitude and viciousness that we did not,” Clemson coach Tommy Bowden said in 2008.

“I just saw a team that had a mentality,” said Georgia coach Mark Richt, “They were going to be physical, they were going to play physical and they did.”

“I think it’s the identity that we’ve always tried to create,” Saban said. “Be aggressive, physical, play with a lot of toughness. Strike them, knock them back. Be aggressive and relentless in your style of how you play and how you compete.

Though these types of mental conditioning programs are perceived as new and cutting edge, the fact is that mental conditioning involves the application and teaching of cognitive and positive psychology. This approach is based on scientific research and principles that have been around for close to a half-century. It is one of the most widely used and validated mechanisms for behavior change. Many organizational and sports psychologists have been using this approach in their practices for years with considerable success. This area of applied psychology looks closely at an individual's beliefs and self-talk and the effect it has on behavior and performance. It is highly results-oriented.

“I don’t think the message is that different,” Saban said. “I think the things that it takes to be successful are the same regardless, whether it’s passion, commitment, hard work, investing your time in the right things, perseverance, pride in performance, how you think in a positive and negative way, the discipline you have personally -- you have to make choices in your decisions.”

Saban emphasizes that you must “develop champions before you can create championship results.” He also emphasizes the importance of creating the right processes to get the right outcomes.

The players who spent the summer on campus were enrolled in a dozen mental conditioning classes, designed to improve, in Saban's words, the "self-actualization, self-confidence [and] self-esteem" of his players. Twelve times each summer, the Alabama football team sits through 30- to 45-minute classes devoted to mental conditioning and character development. The Pacific Institute of Seattle was hired to design a program and lead the players through a series of awareness exercises and affirmations, such as:

"We are a team that's committed to excellence. It's represented in everything we do."

"Our defense is aggressive. We fly to the ball seeking always to cause big plays on every down. We intimidate our opponents."

"Our offense is consistently on top of their game."

"Our team is a family. We will look out for each other. We love one another. Anything that attempts to tear us apart only makes us stronger."

These affirmations reinforced the vision and outcome that the Alabama coaching staff was looking for and provided a language to communicate expectations and establish behavioral habits related to mental focus, teamwork, determination and priorities.

Saban also made the point that the program never once talked about winning, they only talked about their commitment to success, pride in performance and being the best you can be.

“That’s exactly how it was. To me, I thought it helped us out as a team. It made us realize that we have to focus night and day.”

--Marquis Johnson, cornerback.

Nevertheless, the program’s emphasis is on personal choices and accountability. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.

“Honestly, you have to look inside yourself. The coach can only tell you and say so much. To play as a man, you have to look inside yourself.”

-- running back Glen Coffee.

Excerpts from Chattanooga Free Press, July 28, 2008; Tuscaloosa News, August 10, 2008 and September 8, 2008; Forbes, September 1, 2008; and Sports Illustrated, September 8, 2008.

For more on mental conditioning and peak performance, click on The Handbook of Peak Performance, and for the latest mental conditioning tools, click on: Peak Performance eCoach and request access.

NBA All-Stars Show the Way to Victory Through Mental Mindset

Here are some notes from NBA games played on November 12, 2009. Much can be learned about success from listening to NBA players reacting to victory.

Focus, Maturity and Discipline

"We really did a good job focusing ourselves. They do what they do, and we try to stop it. We showed a lot of control, a lot of maturity. It was a very disciplined game for us."

--Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers' leader, after a 121-102 regular season win over the Phoenix Suns, who had brought a 7-1 record and four-game win streak into the Lakers' home arena.

Responsiblity and Accountability: Finishing Games and Being a Role Model

"It starts with me -- closing the games out. If I'm being lax, if I'm not being aggressive and putting pressure on the defense, the rest of the team is not going to do the same. I just tried to put as much pressure as we could offensively, tried to get as many stops as possible, and come out with a win. We had played so well for most of the game, you don't want to let a game like this get away."

--LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers' All-Star, on beating the Miami Heat, 111-104, in a regular season match-up.

Understanding History and the Importance of Legacies

LeBron James would like to see any NBA player who wears No. 23 to choose another number in homage to Michael Jordan, who also wore No. 23.

James said he plans to switch his number from 23 to 6 after this season.

"I just think what Michael Jordan has done for the game has to be recognized some way soon," James told TNT. "There would be no LeBron James, no Kobe Bryant, no Dwyane Wade if there wasn't Michael Jordan first.

"He can't get the logo [Hall of Famer Jerry West's silhouette adorns the NBA's logo], and if he can't, something has to be done. I feel like no NBA player should wear 23. I'm starting a petition, and I've got to get everyone in the NBA to sign it. Now, if I'm not going to wear No. 23, then nobody else should be able to wear it."

"If you see 23, you think about Michael Jordan," James said, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "You see game-winning shots, you think about Michael Jordan; you see guys fly through the air, you think about Michael Jordan; you see fly kicks, you think about Michael Jordan. He did so much, it has to be recognized, and not just by putting him in the Hall of Fame."

The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers are two of the teams favored to go far in the 2009 NBA Playoffs. Mental mindset and emotional resiliency will play a large role in the success of their teams and the success of the other contenders.

For more on mental mindset, click on The Handbook of Peak Performance.

Excerpts from ESPN.com, November 13, 2009.