Yes, this is another post related to the NCAA tournament , but don’t turn the channel yet. There are a couple of business gems buried here, so stay tuned. (By the way, those of you who thought my bracket post was crazy, don’t think I’m so crazy now, huh?!?!)
Brad Stevens
I want to be like Brad Stevens, the Butler University Basketball Coach , because:
- He ages super well. Seriously, look at him. He’s 34 years old and looks 16. Where was I when they were passing out those genes?
- He keeps his cool under intense pressure and always maintains a professional manner.
- He has an amazing gift to motivate teams to do extraordinary things. (This has been going on for years, not just recently. His record is impressive. )
- He had the courage to give up a “safe” and “secure” job at Eli Lilly to pursue a dream.
- He uses strategic and statistical analysis to enhance his coaching . (I guess that should be expected from a guy with an economics degree.)
I want to take a minute to focus on #4 and #5 above. How many people have the courage to give up a good job to pursue their dreams? He was willing to do whatever he needed to do to pursue his passion. I meet so many people in the business world that started their company or purchased a business because they thought they could make a lot of money, not because it was something they loved. Money is great, but I think true happiness comes from pursuing your passion.
Lastly, I do want to highlight his use of analysis in his coaching. Turns out the team that seems to magically adjust to each competitor they come up against doesn’t use magic at all. They analyze and plan. Mr. Stevens spends hours looking at stats and tapes of games, planning Butler’s attack on their upcoming opponent.
Why just guess? Why take chances? Take a lesson from Butler, this kind of strategy works, not just in basketball, but in business too. Every business needs to have a strategic marketing plan, every business.