Focal Point

Earlier this week, Duke University won the Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship, and Mike Krzyzewski won his fifth title in 35 years at Duke.  Sports reporters are now trying to compare him with UCLA’s great coach, John Wooden, who won the crown 10 times in 12 trips to the Final Four.  We’ll let that sports debate continue.

But the question I want to ask is, “What do John Calipari, Bo Ryan, Tom Izzo, and Mike Krzyzewski have in common?  They all got their NCAA Men’s Basketball teams into the coveted Final Four.  And they’ve all been there before.  Are they special coaches and leaders?  Do they just attract more talented players?  Is it the school that lands them, or is it the coach?  How do they do it?

It’s probably a combination of all of these.  They’ve built a tradition of winning at their schools.  They exemplify leadership, care, and motivation of players.  They know how to develop talent and take it to greatness.  But most of all, they are among the very best at what they do.

Coaching basketball is like running a business.  Successful coaches have many of the same traits as successful entrepreneurs.  They put in the time it takes to follow a vision; they create a plan that energizes their players; and they insist on flawless execution to realize their dream.  None of this happens by chance.  It is all meticulously orchestrated to achieve a desired result.

If you own a business, run a store, manage a department, head a committee, or have a favorite hobby, a lot of the success you have, or don’t have, depends on you.  You get out of something what you put into it.  It’s really that simple.

So whether you’re a famous basketball coach, someone trying to take your business to the next level, or an employee trying to do your job just that much better, your focal point should be on excellence in how you do it.  Nothing can replace the time, energy, and focus you place on whatever you do.

 
Here are a few Business & Life Tips to think about…..

Business Tips:

• If you want to develop increasing responsibilities in the future, do what you do right now really well.
• Success requires effective execution of a good concept with the right timing. All three elements must be in place.
• Leaders don’t push people into bold and unnecessary risk. Rather, they navigate people through challenging times.

Life Tips:

• Often, the difference between realizing your dream, or not, is the simple principle of  taking action. You can do it.
• Unless you live alone on an island somewhere, learning how to get along with others is one of the most important things in life.
• It doesn’t matter where you’ve come from. It matters where you’re going. Take the time to know your true direction in life.

Here are a few past articles written by Bill:

Motivation Works

The Curse of Being Average 

Relationships Are Important

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