There is more to March Madness than just basketball.

As the final teams compete today for the NCAA Sweet 16, here are a couple of observations and lessons from the tournament so far.

Butler moves to the sweet 16 playing as a team. If you are a basketball fan, you have to like the way they play. Tough, smart, hard nosed and as a team. Few teams in the tournament will come closer to reaching their potential than will this team. Yes, the Butler campus is just a few miles from my home, but that doesn't change the fact that watching how they play together is a lesson in teamwork we can all learn from.

Indiana University lost to UCLA last night and their season (and for the seniors their career) is over. In the Indianapolis Star this morning, their coach Kelvin Sampson is quoted as saying, "There are alot of tears in the locker room. Kids that don't cry don't invest." What more could any coach or leader ask for than for their players or team to be invested? It begs the question, how invested are you and how invested are those you lead?

My alma mater, Purdue University plays defending National Champion the University of Florida in less than two hours. They are the biggest underdog of the day, according to the odds makers. Carl Landry, their team leader and star player was quoted in a press conference yesterday saying "I know everyone has pretty much counted us out, but this is the NCAA Tournament. If a few possessions go our way and the ball is going down, Florida has no chance."

Confidence is an important component of performance whether you are shooting baskets or shooting photographs for a marketing campaign (or doing anything else). Confidence is an under-appreciated attribute for us in the non-sports world.

I don't know what will happen in the game today (though I'll certainly be rooting for my Boilermakers), but I do know that the confidence of Carl Landry and his teammates will serve them well.

How much do you trust the strengths of your teammates?
How hard to you play?
How invested are you?
How confident are you?

There is more to March Madness than just basketball.

All you have to do is look.

Also posted in Leadership, Learning and Teamwork.

Labels: basketball, sports leaders, sports teamwork

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You may think that building teams is something we think about in corporate settings, but that athletes who have played a team sport their whole lives might already have that concept nailed.

While their experience may give them a leg up, this article about the Los Angeles Angels will give you a good feeling that team building can and does occur everywhere. This article talks about how Angels manager Mike Scioscia uses spring training and meetings to build his team beyond the field of play.

The article also talks about how Scioscia's strategy builds leadership too - as a couple of past team leaders are no longer on the team.

Whether you are a baseball fan or not, you will find this useful and instructive.

Also posted in Leadership and Teamwork.

Labels: baseball, sports leaders, sports teamwork

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I've been home most all of this week and have had the chance to enjoy the local media coverage of "our" Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts. From a leadership perspective it has been interesting to watch and listen to the coverage of a coach who does things in a different way than many other football coaches.

While much of what has been written about the calm demeanor and overall approach of Tony Dungy is interesting and valuable to consider, perhaps the most telling thing I heard was from Peyton Manning, the MVP Quarterback who thanked his coach at the victory rally on Monday night, calling him "our best friend."

Many talk about the need for a split between personal relationships and supervision or leadership. This talk typically revolves around people becoming close friends and then having a hard time being objective about performance or meeting job expectations.

Perhaps there are risks in that closeness, but the rewards of emotional closeness in terms of communication effectiveness, trust building and productivity improvement seem to far outweigh those risks. (And besides, I doubt that Tony Dungy has any problem giving feedback on performance!)

Peyton and his teammates may not invite coach Dungy over for dinner like you might with other best friends, but to be considered a friend as a leader seems like a championship quality to me.

Also posted in Leadership, Learning, and Teamwork

Labels: Indianapolis Colts, leadership, sports leaders, Tony Dungy

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