Three Traits That Top Sports Organizations Have in Common
We’ve had the privilege of working with a number of sports organizations over the years. Whether it be the NFL, MLB, NHL, or NBA, there are three things we’ve noticed that top sports organizations have in common. Let’s look at how we can take these characteristics and apply them to our own lives.
1. FOCUS ON INVESTING
We’ve come to learn from the St. Louis Cardinals that they are like an ocean liner: they set a direction for themselves and stick to it. Despite the distractions and temptations that may come, they keep moving forward steadily and confidently. This means that while they’ll listen to new ideas, they don’t make decisions in the moment. They keep their focus on the big picture and consider new ideas with time and wisdom.
We’ve seen this play out in the way they draft their players. For approximately the last 20 years, the Cardinals have had winning seasons and, therefore, have generally not had early-round draft picks. For example, if you’re picking 20th out of 30 for the last 20 years, you need to work that much harder to polish and fine-tune the diamond in the rough. The Cardinals invest immense time, energy, and effort into these draftees in order to keep winning. This makes for a strong culture: keeping the Cardinals focus investing in many players, rather than on an individual player.
2. STICK TO YOUR BELIEFS
When the owners and General Manager of the St. Louis Blues agreed to go all-in with their team in 2018-19, they strategized and ended up spending their entire budget. Yet halfway through the season, the St. Louis Blues were ranked the worst team in the League. Press and fans were frustrated and demanded a change. Even still, the owners and the General Manager agreed to stick to their beliefs in their players and coaches and press on in what they’d set out to do. Immediately, things started turning around. They turned around so much that they ended up going from the worst team in the League to the BEST team - even winning the Stanley Cup for the first time in history! It would be hard to imagine what the outcome would have been if the GM had betrayed his beliefs and given in to the critics and bloggers early on.
3. PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS
The Packers clearly know who they are: they’re the big fish in a small pond. Most people would not be familiar with Green Bay, Wisconsin, without the Packers. Yet despite their big name, they always pay attention to the details…big and small.
I remember attending a meeting at the stadium early one Tuesday morning. The Packers had just played a Monday night home game late the night before, so I expected to smell beer and popcorn and see trash still in the stands and atrium. I was taken by surprise to find the place immaculate. I asked the front desk, “How can it be this clean?” They simply replied, “How could it be any other way?” This speaks to so much of their success. When you take pride in the little things, you’re sure to take pride in the big things.
So how can we take these traits and apply them to our own lives? The Cardinals teach us to invest in our people. We can focus on building people up. The Blues teach us to believe in our people. We need to stick to our positive beliefs in people even when the going gets tough. And finally, the Packers teach us to watch the details so our people can succeed. When we do the small things well, we’re sure to do the big things well.
