Tuesday, April 19, 2011

The "Secret"

In basketball it's simply known as the "secret". You can't find it on stat sheets. You won't hear players or coaches talk about it. You won't see awards or trophies for it.

No one talks about the "secret", because it's more fun to exalt blinding talent and individual heroics. But the great ones know. It's about their team's performance.

Some of the best in the game never learned the "secret" and the ultimate success eluded them. Bird, Magic, and Russell understood it, mastered it, but rarely described it.

The "secret" is about willing your team members to overachieve. About caring so much about your mission that you inspire your team to push the envelope, competing at the highest level. About refusing to fail and making the sacrifices needed to win.

To assess whether you're beginning to comprehend the "secret", I'm suggesting these criteria. Do you:

1. Set high standards for your self and your team?
2. Personally execute to those standards with intensity?
3. Help others on the team reach those standards?
4. Upgrade the team, identifying necessary changes in roles?
5. Upgrade your own skills continually?
6. Ensure great teamwork?
7. Consistently win over time?

The "secret" ain't easy. It requires extraordinary passion and grit.

1 comment:

  1. Sounds a lot like : "The One Thing You Need to Know: ... About Great Managing, Great Leading, and Sustained Individual Success " ~Marcus Buckingham , Author. His vision and yours sir sound very much alike. Good stuff !!

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