How to Survive and Advance For Leaders

March Madness was inspiring watching teams compete and reaching the pinnacle of success in the coaching profession. Every leader, coach, or business should watch how these high-performing teams survive and advance. It’s eye opening and it should motivate you to have a game plan to strive for your own pinnacle of success in life, your career or in business.

What does it take to survive and advance? It’s a fine line – often the results at this level comes down to the last few seconds, inches or one possession of the game.

Here are 5 tips on how to advance your life, leadership and business.

 

1. Don’t Beat Yourself

Teams that are a part of March Madness do not make many mistakes. They avoid distractions and have a mindset that prevents them from beating themselves. Distractions or the wrong mindset can mean many things. High performing teams practice and play every day as if they are in the final seconds of a game. Remind your team and staff as you approach the final seconds, they are ON point to execute the little things.

2. Make the Extra Pass

Teams that survive and advance are unselfish. They do not think twice about making the extra pass. As a top performer, you might be able to get away without making the extra pass during the process. In order to survive and advance during March Madness, it requires making the extra pass. Which employee takes the shot? Who is setting the screen? Encourage collaboration, be receptive to new ideas, and involve your team and leverage all talents and strengths to get the results you want.

3. It’s Mental Toughness

Playing at this level is tremendous pressure; not only pressure to perform, but meeting high expectations. It’s pressure one can’t explain, only experience. The more success you have adds an additional level of expectations and the win is expected – no matter what. Mental toughness is a “must have” in order to survive and advance. How do you develop mental toughness to your game and strategy? We will all experience setbacks, disappointments, and failure. Mental toughness is demonstrating resilience. Get up, dust yourself off, and get back in the game.

4. Use Your Time Outs

How are you utilizing your time outs and team huddles? Is everyone on the same page? Have you prepared for this situation in advance? In my consulting business, many of my clients use huddles every day to communicate, get on the same page and keep moving forward. Your staff and management team meetings are your time outs. How are you using your staff meetings, huddles and time outs in your business?

5. Believe

First, you must believe. As the ON point leader, communicate an inspiring vision. Your locker room (workplace) should be a culture of emotion and inspiration. Exude confidence as the on point leader; it starts with you. Create an inspiring vision and deliver a motivating pep talk. Believe in yourself, your team and remember it’s how you show up every day.