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With March Madness wrapping up this week (how amazing is Caitlin Clark?!), we wanted to share a favourite business lesson from one of the greatest college basketball coaches ever, Mike Krzyzewski.
No coach in US Division I men's basketball history has won more games than Coach K.
As head coach at Duke, he led the Blue Devils to five national titles, 13 Final Fours, 15 ACC tournament championships, and 13 ACC regular-season titles.
Why is Coach K so good?
His focus on leadership and development.
Many of his players have gone on to successful careers in the NBA, and he is credited with helping them improve their skills both on and off the court.
Here’s one principle we’ve found really helps us, and our clients to achieve big wins, that we learned directly from Coach K:
2 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF & YOUR TEAM TO WIN THIS SEASON
Coach K had a simple yet powerful tradition.
Before each season, he would gather his players and ask them two crucial questions:
1 - What are your goals for this season?
2 - What exactly did you do this past summer to accomplish these goals?
This approach served multiple purposes:
A) Reflecting on Goals: It prompted players to reflect what they want to achieve for the season.
Apply it in your business: Are your business goals clearly defined and measurable?
B) Challenging Bullsh!t Goals: It forced players to articulate their goals clearly, weeding out any vague or unrealistic aspirations.
Apply it in your business: Have you shared your goals with someone who can provide honest feedback and challenge you to refine them?
C) Assessing Commitment: It gauged how serious players were about actually achieving their goals, by getting them to reflect on what (if any) actions they’ve been taking. It’s pretty easy to say “I want to win the championship this year”, but did you train over the summer to improve your skills, or did you sit on the couch?
Apply it in your business: Are you putting in the work to achieve your goals, or are you paying them lip service?
D) Adjusting Mindset and Actions: If players didn’t answer satisfactorily, it prompted them to reassess their goals and take concrete actions to align with them.
Apply it in your business: How can you ensure that your goals are driving your actions, and vice versa?
Key Takeaway:
Consistently ask yourself and your team these two questions:
1 - What are your goals?
2 - What actions are you taking to achieve them?
Clarify your goals and put in the work to make them a reality!
If these questions resonate with you, it might be time to reassess your goals and ensure that your actions are aligned with your objectives.
Let’s get after it!
Speak soon,
Lynne and Steve
TLDR:
- Coach K’s pre-season tradition offers valuable insights for business leaders.
- Clarify your goals and ensure your actions are aligned with achieving them.
- Time to get after it!
P.S. Get a coach!
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