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Excelling in the world of professional sports requires a robust combination of talent, discipline, and determination. It takes talent to channel formidable skill into performance. However, talent alone won’t get the job done. Discipline is required to put in the time to harness that talent to its highest level, and determination is what drives top athletes through the most challenging times, keeping them focused on the prize.
The attributes that allow elite athletes to excel and perform at near super-human levels are just as useful in the boardroom as on the playing field. Step up your game by adding these life lessons from sports to your professional playbook.
Have Clear Goals.
Whether it’s winning a gold medal or taking their team to the championships, athletes are always striving toward very specific goals. They dream big and lean on their drive to keep pushing their objectives forward, even when things get tough. Whatever success looks like for you, having a clear vision of your goals gives you a tangible reason to fight through setbacks and overcome obstacles. Whether you want to upgrade your infrastructure, grow your business by 200% in three years, or create a sea of change in your industry, write down your goals. Set and prioritize your objectives, define your benchmarks for success, then go for it.
Be Willing to Fail.
Some of the world’s biggest success stories started out as unremarkable failures. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school varsity basketball team. That didn’t stop him from becoming one of the greatest players the NBA has ever seen. Shrinking away from challenges or trying to avoid failure is the surest way to fail. There are bound to be difficulties on the road to success, and not everything will work out as you plan. But as Wayne Gretzky once said, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, so don’t fear failure; embrace it! Setbacks are a natural part of any challenging journey and they bring valuable lessons that help you grow as you move closer to your goals.
Practice Discipline.
Reaching the pinnacle in your field requires getting up every day, having a game plan, following it diligently, and resisting distractions that do not further your goals. Athletes stick to their training regimens, no matter what, because they understand the importance of being prepared and sharpening their skills. Driven entrepreneurs concentrate on a vision and do not waver in their resolve.
Believe in Yourself.
Having a winning mentality is a life lesson from sports to be used in all aspects of life, regardless of the career you pursue. You have to be able to visualize your success and believe you will achieve it. Vision is an essential trait in business, and self-confidence is the necessary fuel that drives that vision forward. If you aren’t “all in” with your mission, you’re going to have a difficult time inspiring anyone else.
Trust Your Team.
No matter how much talent, discipline, and determination you can summon, you still can’t do it all yourself. Even the most famous sports stars know that they need to trust their fellow team members to throw them the best passes, protect them from tackles, and clear the way for them to score. You need to be able to place the same confidence in your team that you have in yourself. Resist micromanaging and instead, empower your team with tools that emphasize personal accountability. Promoting a company culture that encourages open communication and the sharing of ideas will help motivate others as you lead by example.
The journey athletes make from rookie player to champion paints a perfect image of the long and challenging path to success as an entrepreneur. Often, it is an individual’s competitive spirit that will determine how close they’ll come to achieving their dream. Don’t spend your time fearing those edging up behind you. Use them as inspiration to work harder, do better, and get there first. After all, thinking like a winner is the first step to becoming one. Implement these life lessons from sports to achieve success.
Pivotal coaching moments in sports are great metaphors for business and life, because we’re all trying to win, make progress, or get to the next level. The best coaches—and the most inspirational speeches—strip away all the distractions and remind us that accomplishing goals is completely possible if we own our greatness.
In this small-town sports film, Matthew McConaughey plays Marshall University’s new football coach, Jack Lengyel, who arrives in the aftermath of a 1970 plane crash that claimed the lives of 75 Marshall team members and boosters. Lengyel encourages his team, telling them that even though they are vastly outmatched, if they play with all their heart, they can never lose, regardless what the scoreboard says. Marshall goes on to win on the final play of the game. The message is clear: accomplishing goals—even difficult ones—is possible when you believe in yourself and your team.
One of the most memorable underdog stories to play out on the international stage, the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team’s improbable victory over the seemingly invincible Soviet team, was made for Hollywood. Kurt Russell is Coach Herb Brooks, who delivers the stirring “This is your time” pregame inspirational speech that sparked the team’s gutsy gold medal run. This is movie offers plenty of inspiration for anyone facing impossible odds.
High school basketball coach Ken Carter (Samuel L. Jackson) benched his entire undefeated team in 1999 due to their collective poor academic performance. His role as a tough, principled mentor has its shining moment when, after a defeat, he tells his team in an inspirational speech that he’s watched them mature into men who have achieved victory within themselves by excelling as students. Coach Carter is a great reminder that success is a journey, not just an end goal.
The pressure is on Coach Gary Gaines (Billy Bob Thornton) and the Permian High School football team to make the playoffs in light of the local community’s high expectations. In his halftime inspirational speech during the final game of what would be an undefeated season, Coach Gaines sheds new light on the true meaning of perfection: being a person of integrity in your relationships.
This Oscar-nominated movie about a small-town Indiana high school basketball team that ends up winning the state championship excels, offering on-the-court lessons about dedication, determination, and redemption. Norman Dale (Gene Hackman) gives an intense pregame speech, imploring his players to forget about winning or losing and instead, play to their potential. If they do that, the results will come. This movie is sure to inspire anyone who believes that hard work, passion, and grit can take you anywhere you want to go.
Newly appointed African-American high school football coach Herman Boone (Denzel Washington) must lead his team’s first racially integrated season in 1971. Battling lingering racial prejudice from the community while breaking down barriers between his own players, Boone takes his team out to the site of the Battle of Gettysburg to deliver an inspirational speech about unity. This movie sends a powerful message about the importance of supporting each other in accomplishing goals.
These coaches emphasize the value of having heart, sound principles, integrity, unity, and seizing the moment when it’s go time. In sports, and in life, coaching can make all the difference. The next time you find yourself facing adversity, seek inspiration from these examples of great coaching to up your game when it comes to accomplishing goals.
The big game is this weekend, and the competitive of sports has a lot of parallels with sales. Succeeding in both sports and sales requires strategy, winning, rewards and competing. Whether you are looking for a career or another client, using your football fandom can help give you an edge that will help you achieve your goals. The Cydcor team shares its favorite sales plays to attracting clients and building relationships.
The Ice Breaker. Seek out new prospects with a winning personality. Cydcor recommends using the “SEE” principles: smile, eye contact and enthusiasm. Find out what the lead enjoys and find some common ground in the conversation.
The Stat Push. Bring the facts. People are often convinced by solid evidence that what you are offering is a better decision. This includes making sure people recommend your work, testimonials of your success, and information about your product or service. If you have an answer for everything, no one can argue with you. But don’t be too pushy with your knowledge; it can turn some people off. Just be ready for questions.
The Full Rundown. Go through your entire contact list and send each person a quick email or give them a call. This will keep your list fresh and relevant, and you can see if any former prospects have changed their minds about your service. The full rundown can help you prioritize your strategy, and keep you organized
The Hail Prospects. Go all out. Make a list of all ideal people you want to work with and find ways to contact them. Go all out, reach for the top, even if you think it’s impossible. Throw everything you’ve got at your search until something breaks through.
The Double Back. Make sure you follow up with everyone you talk to with a thank you note. Remember as well that past clients may be interested in upgrades or additional products that you have to offer.
What’s your favorite play? You can join the Cydcor community and let us know!