March Madness has
dominated the national consciousness of college basketball fans for the past
few weeks. I marvel at the lessons one can draw from the games: Cinderella
teams put forth extraordinary efforts and surprised us while some former
champions disappointed. As a life-long sports fan, I enjoy using sports
analogies to teach business principles.
Coming into the
tournament, expectations run high. Compare that to the optimism one feels on the
first day of a new job, at the start of a new contract, or the opening of a new
hotel. In each instance, the team, or the company or the person sets a goal for
success. How do they make the goal a reality?
It takes
persistence to win the game and persistence to accomplish our goals in
business. Just like a top basketball team, the company and its associates have
talent, experience and good coaching. But it takes persistence to stick to the
plan and reach the goal.
Winston Churchill
once called persistence the most important leadership trait. In front of an
audience of graduating college seniors, he delivered his commencement address
in five words, “Never quit, never ever quit.” It is said that when he left the
stage, one could have heard a pin drop. It’s a powerful message for all of us.
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