While living in New Delhi from March 2009-February 2012, every Saturday night from 6-7:30 PM, I coached basketball at the YMCA. I had made a connection with the YMCA before I went to India, as I knew that I had to have basketball in my life no matter where I was living. Basketball to me is life and life is basketball. The life lessons which I’ve learned from this game can be readily applied in a corporate setting.
Through my life in Nepal, I’ve met a number of basketball players and coaches, a VSO volunteer from Spain, who used to play in London, play at every opportunity which presents itself, coached a gay basketball team, that didn’t score a point, as part of the first South Asian Gay Sports Tournament, regularly co-coach an Army wheelchair basketball team, promote sports for Persons with Disabilities and conduct clinics for school children on “Life Lessons Through Basketball”.
Basketball has had a major impact on my life as expressed through some of my blog writings:
“Basketball is more than a game as it requires, as does life, being part of a team, sharing experiences, joy, sorrow, anger, tears, communication, tolerance, discipline and being in good health and eating nutritious foods. Basketball is a life-style for those who proactively choose to truly take part. Like life, basketball has its ups and downs. We all have been gifted with different skills and as in basketball it is about what we do with those skills and talents that makes life worth living.”
Bill Bradley a former professional player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and US Senator from New Jersey wrote, The Values of the Game in which he discusses personality characteristics vis-à-vis basketball, leading to a life of fulfillment, i.e. passion, discipline, selflessness, respect, perspective, courage, leadership, responsibility, resilience, and imagination. I take all of these values to heart in how I play basketball and live life.
John Wooden one of the most successful American college basketball coaches won ten National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships in a 12-year period—seven in a row—as head coach at UCLA, an unprecedented feat. Coach Wooden developed a “Pyramid of Success” which includes 15 building blocks-industriousness, friendship, loyalty, cooperation, enthusiasm, self-control, alertness, initiative, intentness, condition, skill, team spirit, poise, confidence, competitive greatness.
Wooden defined success as:
“peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable.”
The lessons that I’ve learned through basketball can be applied to corporate culture and success, e.g. knowing when to dribble down court and be pro-active in leading one’s team or when we should use our individual talents and drive and score for the good of the team; when do we pass off or delegate and let go, having full confidence in our teammates to do the right thing; how often do we act as cheerleaders or mentors/coaches encouraging our team members to perform at their highest level, but also having the patience and the fortitude to work through issues while providing constructive, respectful feedback?
In order to be successful and respected, CEO’s and senior level people should take to heart and consistently demonstrate the characteristics and building blocks noted above. Senior level people need to be selfless, continually thinking about how to develop their teams and its various members, keeping in mind how to make best use of and helping to improve people’s individual skill sets, so that everybody wants to play, giving full effort at all times and not just to meet deadlines.
We must lead by example communicating our vision in an understandable manner and our willingness to “walk the talk”, i.e. committing to something means following through. We have to be willing to let go of our ego in helping to build other’s confidence, encouraging other’s creativity, and their abilities to make a greater contribution to the team. We must also take responsibility and not lay blame on others, be willing to admit when we’ve made a mistake and create a culture where people learn from issues and not be afraid to make a mistake. A vital question is how to create a learning organisation, similar to basketball, when we see a new defense and make the appropriate adjustments to overcome our opponents.
No matter what we do in life, the lessons of basketball or for that matter any sport, whether team or individual, is that we must always do our best, while cooperating with others. This is the only way to move forward as a community whether this is where/whom we live with, where we work or attend school. Life is about how we interact in the world in making a better place for all. While using sports as a guru for a healthy lifestyle and living in the world, anything is possible.
If you would like me to bring “Managing Through Basketball”, a two hour course, into your business, please contact me at mikerlakers@yahoo.com
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