I’m a huge fan of college basketball and so I’ve been glued to the TV for the last three weeks. I’ve been amazed (along with everyone else) with the number of upsets and “Cinderellas” making it so deep into the tournament.
We may have been shocked, but they weren’t.
I watched the post game interviews and saw the same reaction from each. Perhaps the biggest underdog, St. Mary’s, beat one of my favorites, Villanova, in a huge upset. Yet both the player and coach expressed complete confidence, each saying they went into the game believing they were absolutely capable of winning. The same scene was replayed after Northern Iowa stunned Kansas. And on Saturday, the young coach of Butler told the CBS sports analyst his belief all along that the Butler Bulldogs would win the game.
At the same time, none of these coaches lost sight of the tough reality of the situation. They knew that the teams they faced would be extremely difficult to beat, and it would take an incredible effort to overcome the odds. These Cinderellas confronted the brutal facts of their situation head-on.
In short, they followed what Jim Collins calls the Stockdale Paradox, also one of the descriptors of a GREAT company and Level 5 Leaders: CONFRONT THE BRUTAL FACTS, Yet Never Lose Faith.
In the book Good to Great, Collins explains how Admiral Stockdale, a
In his research of good-to-great companies, Collins discovered that great companies (teams?) “continually refined the path to greatness with the brutal facts of reality.” Thus, the good-to-great leaders are able to focus on their vision of success yet are relentlessly disciplined at confronting the reality of their current situation. They welcome open dialogue and look at information head on and with eyes wide open.
I just heard another interview by Butler’s coach, Brad Stevens. He shared his team’s respect for the prowess of Michigan State, their upcoming opponent in the Final Four. He knows his team is not as gifted athletically and starts only two players taller than 6’3”. Nevertheless, sophomore guard Ronald Nored says, “I honestly believe every time we go on the court, we’re the most prepared team in the country.”
Whatever happens this weekend, we can all heed the lesson of the Stockdale Paradox. As Collins states in Good to Great,…..There is a sense of exhilaration that comes in facing head-on hard truths and saying, “We will never give up. We will never capitulate. It might take a long time, but we will find a way to prevail.”
To your success,
Mary
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