Our Battalion Commander pointed at the map and explained his strategy. Everything was dependent on the element of surprise. We must attack before being detected. Otherwise, the battle would be lost. Guess what happened when we executed the strategy. The enemy detected our battalion before anyone was in position. Chaos ensued and we were wiped out. Luckily for us – it was a training exercise, not a real-world operation. Nonetheless, our commander was embarrassed and chastised by his senior leaders for creating a bad strategy. Our commander made a classic leadership mistake. He discounted the risk and assumed that everything would go according to plan. It didn’t and we failed.
An Army leader briefing his team members.
The biggest mistake you can make is ignoring the risks
Every strategy you create as a leader will come with risks. I am amazed at how many leaders choose to dismiss, ignore, or discount the risks rather than deal with them. There simply is no such thing as a risk-free strategy. The best approach that a leader can take when crafting a strategy is to identify the risks and determine ways to manage or mitigate them. The biggest mistake you can make is ignoring the risks and hoping for the best. The best scenario case rarely happens, and certainly does not happen over and over again. Prepare for the worst-case scenario so that your strategy does not fall apart because your team does not know what to do.
There are many versions of Murphy’s law – this is the easiest to remember.
Making bold moves creates the biggest impacts
As a leader, you drive results. In many cases that means your strategy will need to include bold moves. Never forget that risks and rewards correlate. If you want a large reward as the outcome of your strategy, you will likely need to include some bold means which will come with risks. Bold strategy = higher risk. Recognize this truth and factor it into your plans. If you are expecting huge results from your strategy and do not contemplate the associated risks, then you are setting up your team for struggles. Don’t be that kind of leader. Plan for the risks and deal with them when they arise.
The D-Day invasion was a high-risk strategy that paid off.
Another mistake – don’t be afraid to take risks
It is important to also point out that you need to take risks as a leader to get great results. If you refuse to ever take big risks, don’t be surprised if your team gets stuck in neutral. Now, I am not saying take big risks all the time, or stupid risks. Rather I am suggesting that smart, calculated risks are the way to go. I like the way Mark Zuckerberg says it below. You will likely fail if you avoid all risks. Be brave.
The biggest risk is not taking any risk… In a world that changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.
Mark Zuckerberg
One caveat – not all strategies require boldness
Not all situations require a bold strategy. If the team you are leading is performing well and delivering high-impact results don’t feel the need to put a bold strategy in place. In this case, craft a strategy that keeps your team moving forward. Manage the risks as needed and monitor the situation in case changes are needed down the road. You will exhaust your team if every day is high-risk execution.
Excellent performance means your strategy is working.
ATW! will make you a better leader
I hope you join me on this journey to raise up the next generation of leaders. The world is in desperate need of more great leaders. Women and men who lead with confidence, clarity, and creativity. It’s time to become the leader that your world needs. Let’s go All The Way!
Captain Slacker stood up to deliver his operations order. He described the mission with enthusiasm. We all would board helicopters, fly to the landing zone, disembark, and take the objective by force. A classic raid operation. The rest of the battalion would arrive by truck. Captain Slacker ended the briefing with a loud hooah, fully confident. Our Battalion Commander was in the room listening intently. He seemed unsettled. I was a platoon leader in the Army, wondering if I was experiencing a lessons learned moment. My hunch was accurate.
Operations orders describe the plan in detail.
Things went from good to go to bad
The Battalion Commander asked one question. “Captain, who told you that your company would be conducting the raid via helicopters?” Silence. “Your company is arriving in the trucks. Your plan is crap! Fix it!! I will return in an hour to hear your new plan. Hooah, indeed.” You could hear a pin drop in the room as the Battalion Commander left the room while we all stood at attention.
Blowing it in front of a senior leader is always painful.
Learn from others mistakes to avoid repeating them – make sure everyone knows the strategy
We all helped Captain Slacker revamp the plan so that he was prepared for the battalion commander’s return. The second briefing went fine, but we could all tell that the colonel was still pissed. I learned later it was because Captain Slacker missed the meeting where the battalion strategy was shared. I made a mental note. Make sure I know the strategy before writing my own plan. It is a mistake I have seen many times in my career. Lesson learned #1 – make sure everyone knows the strategy, or else you will see plans that make zero sense.
Not knowing the strategy leads to misaligned plans.
Lessons Learned #2 – Communicate it often
As a leader, you remember the strategy. The question is whether, or not, your stakeholders remember it. Don’t be surprised if they don’t. You need to communicate the strategy often, especially for bold ones that will be challenging to implement. When obstacles arise your team members will ask why are we doing this. Reiterate the strategy to them – it will help you get everyone to the finish line, especially when things get hard.
All-hands meetings are excellent opportunities to communicate the strategy.
Lessons Learned #3- Create a clever way to capture the central idea
It is difficult for me to remember stuff. We all face this challenge. You do and so do your team members. Help them remember the strategy by creating a clever way to capture the central idea. A few methods that seem to work well include using an acronym, slogan, or graphic depiction of the strategy. Some of you are probably shaking your head thinking this lesson learned is unnecessary. Trust me it is a worthwhile investment of your time to come up with a clever way to communicate it to your stakeholders. Otherwise, they will forget it quickly.
An excellent example of an easy-to-remember acronym.
Lessons Learned #4 – Market it
Yes – you read that correctly. You need to market your strategy. Use a memorable slogan or compelling graphic to get the word out. I am a big fan of having a one-page summary of the strategy that you can use post and easily reuse. Another technique that seems to work well is to brand your communications with a slogan or graphic. Your stakeholders will see it consistently and be reminded on a regular basis where the organization is going.
Apple uses clever marketing for its talent strategy.
Bottom line – leverage these four lessons learned for crafting your winning strategy
Make sure everyone knows the strategy.
Communicate it often.
Create a clever way to capture the central idea.
Market it.
Manage the top line: your strategy, your people, and your products, and the bottom line will follow.
Steve Jobs
ATW! is designed to make you a better leader
I hope you join me on this journey to raise up the next generation of leaders. The world is in desperate need of more great leaders. Women and men who lead with confidence, clarity, and creativity. It’s time to become the leader that your world needs. Let’s go All The Way!
I listened intently as the senior leader spoke. He was sharing the “new” strategy with the leadership team. It was the same old, same old. He claimed that we were in normal market conditions, and if we worked hard everything would be fine. In fact, the market had shifted. Conditions were much more challenging than the past few years, and we needed a new strategy. Our leader did not deliver one. Fast forward a year and things were not good. We missed our targets. A new leader was brought in. Our previous leader made a classic mistake and paid the price. He did not know the practical tactical tips leaders leverage to craft a winning strategy.
Practical tactical tips to craft a winning strategy
Practical tactical tips are worth jotting down for future use.
Practical Tactical Tip (PTT) #1 – Don’t take too long to craft the strategy
Speed matters a lot these days. If you are going to implement a winning strategy – it needs to be timely. One vitally important lesson that the pandemic taught all organizations is that change may come much faster than you anticipate. With that thought in mind, don’t take too long to craft the strategy. If you do, you risk missing the opportunity window that will determine if the strategy is successful, or not. In general, I recommend taking no longer than 90 days to craft your strategy. That may seem fast to some. I was in an organization that took many months to craft our strategy. While we wasted time pondering, our competitor moved out with a new strategy and crushed us. It took years to recover from our protracted approach.
PTT#2 – Don’t look too far out for the future state
Any strategy should focus on getting an organization to a desired future state. Clearly identifying the destination you are trying to reach provides clarity to all stakeholders. One thing that has changed over the past few decades is the time horizon used for effective strategies. Five and ten-year strategies used to be all the rage. Nowadays, it is difficult to project what things will be like that far forward. Instead, I recommend framing any strategy for the next few years. No more than 1-3 years out. Five years is far-fetched. Ten years is pure fiction. Any strategy time horizon longer than that is a complete fantasy.
Make sure to include a future state in your strategy.
PTT#3 – Avoid calling everything a strategy
In the office, you hear the word strategy thrown around a lot. It is a buzzword. In fact, some people say that you need many strategies to accomplish an outcome. When I hear most people say strategy, they are actually talking tactics, techniques, goals, or objectives. Watch the video below if you want a quick primer on what a strategy is and is not. I recommend avoiding calling everything a strategy – it will confuse your stakeholders, and make you look uninformed as a leader.
Remember – Collaboration creates buy-in
One final reminder. Remember that collaboration creates buy-in. If you include stakeholders in crafting the strategy they will be more open to it than if you leave them out until it is time to implement. Sure – collaboration requires more time and energy than crafting the strategy yourself, but it is well worth the investment.
Collaboration creates better ideas and strategies.
ATW! is designed to make you a better leader
I hope you join me on this journey to raise up the next generation of leaders. The world is in desperate need of more great leaders. Women and men who lead with confidence, clarity, and creativity. It’s time to become the leader that your world needs. Let’s go All The Way!
She took a big swig of Diet Coke. The first slide was displayed on the screen. It described the current state. Next slide. It was a vision for where she wanted the organization to go. The room was packed with her team members. She was rolling out a bold new strategy. This was the meeting to share the strategy and build consensus. If she did not get them on board the strategy would stall. Next slide. She talked through the details they had crafted as a team. The energy in the room went up dramatically. It was time to execute. Exciting days were ahead. She had prepared well for this moment by asking herself several insightful questions beforehand.
Getting buy-in from your team is key to success
I am not a strategy expert
All The Way Leadership! believes that crafting a winning strategy is what strong leaders do. I am not a strategy expert. If you want to go deep into that topic find someone who is. Instead, I simply advise that all leaders ponder a few key questions when it comes to strategy. These insightful questions (IQs) are found below.
A good strategy does not need to be complicated.
IQ#1- Should I create the strategy myself?
The short answer is no. Don’t go it alone. Be sure to include members of your team, and other stakeholders when creating the strategy. It is rare that you will have enough insights and ideas to craft a winning strategy all by yourself. I call this the Moses coming down from the mountain approach. Don’t do it. There is one exception – when you are on a short deadline. Sometimes the situation is dire, the building is on fire, and you need to put it out. In this case, you need to crank out the strategy all by yourself. Otherwise, include others.
Avoid being Moses when crafting your strategy. Include others.
Strong leaders collaborate with stakeholders when crafting the strategy
Strong leaders ask insightful questions of others when crafting their strategy. Get the big brains in the room, and ask for their input. In my career, some of the best strategic ideas have come from junior members of the team. Don’t exclude them. They tend to bring a fresh perspective to the table. The higher up in the organization that you sit, the more stakeholders you will need to include. Plan accordingly.
Brainstorm with others when crafting your strategy.
IQ#2 – How do I know if I have a bad strategy?
One way to confirm if your strategy is good or not is to select metrics you will track when you implement. This approach enables you to tell if it is working, or not. For example, if you craft a discounted pricing strategy to increase your overall sales, you will be able to tell shortly after implementation if it is working. If it doesn’t work, consider it the wrong strategy, and move on to something else. Results count more than opinions, but it is important that you seek input before you implement.
Metrics help you track if the strategy is a good one.
Strong leaders get feedback about the strategy from their stakeholders
Leaders need to get feedback from their stakeholders. Just because you codified it doesn’t mean it is good. Ask insightful questions like do they understand your vision? Does the strategy make sense? What are their thoughts about implementing it? It is critical that you get inputs from others in order to build consensus and move your team forward. Getting buy-in from others is critical for success before you start executing.
Don’t expect all the feedback to be positive.
IQ#3 – What are the best ways to communicate my strategy to the team?
The third point to ponder is how you communicate your strategy to your team. My recommendation is that you walk them through it, and answer any questions they have. Don’t be surprised if you get several questions, even if you included many of them in the formulation phase. It will get real for your team the closer you get to execution. PowerPoint is the best tool I know to capture a strategy. Keep the slides to 10 or less. Anything longer is probably overly complicated and still needs work.
Make sure your team is bought into the strategy.
Strong leaders communicate their strategy consistently and creatively
It is the leader’s job to communicate consistently and creatively. Your team and other stakeholders will need to be reminded at times what the strategy is during execution, especially when they run into obstacles. Provide something creative to help stakeholders easily recall the main points. A slogan, acronym, or summary slick sheet are ways to communicate your strategy. I am a big fan of having a one-page summary that your team can carry around with them in case questions arise during implementation. If it feels a little like internal marketing. It is. The bolder the strategy the more important it is to leverage clever ways to consistently communicate it.
Amazon’s former CEO is known for insightful strategic sayings and slogans.
IQ#4 – Is it important to communicate the strategy to my boss? Why or why not?
The right answer is hell yes. This question seems like a no-brainer, yet I have seen this misstep made by leaders more times than I can count. It is vital that your boss understand and endorse your strategy. Otherwise, you risk huge missteps during execution. Case in point, the pricing strategy is an important component of any federal contracting proposal. If your team is taking an aggressive approach and the boss does not know, you will discover the disconnect when it comes time to get the approval for the bid. Hello, rework. Make sure you inform your boss and get her input. Don’t make the mistake of waiting until it is too late to find out that your boss does not concur with your strategy.
Keeping your boss informed is vital to success.
Take the time to ponder insightful questions
Strong leaders understand the importance of crafting a winning strategy. They ask insightful questions and collaborate with their stakeholders. They gather feedback and adjust accordingly. Strong leaders communicate the strategy consistently and make sure it is approved by their boss. Be that kind of leader.
However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.
Winston Churchill
ATW! is designed to make you a better leader
I hope you join me on this journey to raise up the next generation of leaders. The world is in desperate need of more great leaders. Women and men who lead with confidence, clarity, and creativity. It’s time to become the leader that your world needs. Let’s go All The Way!
Last month I wrote about the fact that crafting a winning strategy is what strong leaders do. The next series of blogs will describe in more detail how to formulate your team’s strategy as a leader. This month we will begin with the basic concept.
A plan of action designed to achieve a major or overall aim.
Basic definition of strategy
Some leaders are clueless
Have you ever worked for a leader who does not know what a strategy is…really? No one trained him, and it showed. For example, I worked for one leader who had no clue. He knew it, I knew it, everyone knew it. The organization put this leader in charge of crafting the strategy we would use moving forward. He floundered, and we all watched while this leader struggled. He did not know what he was doing and never delivered. All his stakeholders were left in the dark wondering what was happening. Where were we going? As you might imagine – it was a painful experience for all of us and did not end well for this leader.
It is no fun working for a clueless leader.
The leader who replaced him was much better
Eventually, a new leader was put in place. This leader went to work right away crafting a strategy for the organization. She gathered a team to help define the strategy. She socialized it with her leadership team, received feedback, and made adjustments. A final product was delivered that was well-received by practically everyone. Trust was restored, a clear path forward was identified and performance improved rapidly as we began executing the new strategy. I watched in wonder as she turned around a bad situation in about 90 days. It was a pleasure working for a leader who knew what she was doing and inspired her followers.
In reality, strategy is actually very straightforward. You pick a general direction and implement it like hell.
Jack Welsh
A tool to help craft your strategy
As a leader, it is important that you understand what a strategy actually is. Some leaders struggle with thinking strategically because they do not really know what it means. You probably hear the word strategy a lot. I would offer that what many people are talking about when they say the word strategy is actually tactics, process, and procedures. This diagram found below is the best way I know to think about what a strategy is. It is simple to understand.
Use this simple diagram to formulate your strategy
When in doubt draw it out using this simple diagram. Starting on the left – we, that is you and your team, are here. It is important to define the current state – the blue circle with the red star. Describe what is going well with your team and what needs to change. On the right is the future state. You want to be there – the green circle. The strategy articulates how you are going to go from here to there – the arrow. Any strategy that does not include a how is not an actual strategy. I am going to say that again because I cannot count how many strategic briefings that were all fluff and no substance. In other words, there was no way to actually implement the strategy. Any strategy that does not include the how is not an actual strategy.
Simon Simek reminds us about the importance of the how.
An example of a strategy with no how in it
Years ago I worked for an organization that did not understand this topic. The business unit I worked in did not know how to articulate real strategic thinking. One year all we received from senior leadership was “grow the business”. The current state part of the business was only the revenue number we generated the last year, $100 million. The future state was another number – our target for the next year, $120 million. The strategy was we need to grow by $20 million, or 20%. No mention of how we would reach that number. Go and grow. Wow – talk about a strategy with no how in it. What happened next was predictable.
High growth strategies are not easy to implement.
The leadership team struggled to get everyone motivated
The go and grow strategy was not well received by the leadership team. Market conditions were changing – the next year would be much harder than the last year. The growth target was much larger than the previous one – twice as large. Leaders in the business unit wondered how in the world are we going to grow twice as fast in a tough market. No clear answers were provided by the senior leaders. The reality is that they did not know how we would do it. They were hoping for the best. The leadership team struggled to get everyone bought into the strategy and motivated to make it happen. As a result, we did not have a good year, we missed the target, and new leaders were brought in to fix the problem.
Getting buy-in from the team is critical for strategy success.
What about you?
Do you know how to craft a winning strategy? Have you taken the time to formulate, codify and communicate it to your stakeholders? If not, make the investment now. If so, you will enjoy the next few blogs. We are going to explore this topic in detail to include points to ponder, practical tactical tips, and lessons learned based on decades of experience.
ATW! is designed to make you a better leader
I hope you join me on this journey to raise up the next generation of leaders. The world is in desperate need of more great leaders. Women and men who lead with confidence, clarity, and creativity. It’s time to become the leader that your world needs. Let’s go All The Way!
Take a moment right now and think about a strong leader you know. Someone you truly enjoyed working for. Ask yourself a basic question about this leader. Does she know how to craft a winning strategy? I bet the answer is yes. Strong leaders win. Now think about a weak leader you know well. Someone you did not enjoy following. Ask yourself the same question. Did he select a winning strategy? Your answer probably changed to no. It is difficult to follow someone who does not know how to win. Losing sucks. It always has and always will.
Winning is a great feeling that your team wants to experience.
Strategy is a constant leadership challenge
Strong leaders think strategically on a regular basis. How will my team win today, tomorrow, and the next days after that? Having a winning strategy is a constant challenge that every leader faces. Trust me – your competition is thinking about ways to beat you and your team. You better do the same thing. It is easy to rest on your laurels and fall into the trap of focusing your time and energy as a leader on tactical execution. I call it the “keeping the trains running” mentality. Weak leaders keep their heads down, failing to look at the big picture and over the horizon. Don’t be that kind of leader. Being a strong leader is more important than ever these days.
Sometimes a leader needs to step back and look at the big picture.
It is a highly competitive marketplace, so strategy is important for success
The business world is a competitive place. I cannot think of many industries that are not highly competitive. If you want to win you better have a good strategy before your competition eats your lunch. I have written before about what happens when a leader does not have a good strategy. If some days it feels like you are in a brawl at work – it probably is because you are. Let’s face it – the COVID crisis made it even more important than ever to have a good strategy to not only win but simply survive in some industries. The whole world changed last year. Strong leaders recognized the need for new strategies to be successful in the post-pandemic world and are adjusting accordingly. While others are hoping that things will return to normal (whatever that means), and may not make it much longer.
Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.
Mike Tyson
Leaders are expected to provide the winning strategy for the team
Let’s pose a simple question – who is responsible for the strategy? Answer – the leader. Sure you are going to get help from others when crafting the strategy. But, if you are the leader, you need to own the strategy for your team. They will expect it, and you need to deliver. Think about it. Who will the team turn to when execution gets tough? The leader – of course. That is why you are there. Strong leaders understand that they are expected to provide the winning strategy for their team. Weak leaders delegate it to others, or simply hope for the best. And we all know by now that hope is not an effective strategy, especially in a competitive market.
You are the quarterback – call the play!
Picking a winning strategy may be challenging if you have many possible paths in front of you
My last point is somewhat counter-intuitive. I believe picking the best strategy is most difficult when you have many possible options. It is usually pretty easy to pick between two or three options. More than that then you should spend some time analyzing each option before selecting, but don’t take too long. The reason I mention this topic is that I have worked for leaders who were bad at strategy simply because they wasted precious time trying to pick the best path forward. We would spend days, weeks, and months thinking through the options and never commit fully to one. Meanwhile, our competitors selected their strategy and were busy executing it.
Don’t spend too much time selecting the strategy.
What about you? Do you have a winning strategy?
Are you crafting a winning strategy for your team? Do you spend time thinking strategically with your team on a regular basis? If not, then you have work to do. Don’t worry – All The Way Leadership! is here. The next series of blog posts will focus on strategy formulation.
ATW! is designed to make you a better leader
I hope you join me on this journey to raise up the next generation of leaders. The world is in desperate need of more great leaders. Women and men who lead with confidence, clarity, and creativity. It’s time to become the leader that your world needs. Let’s go All The Way!
The University of Virginia’s men’s college basketball team is going to the final four. They have not been there since 1984. That is 35 years ago. I was a young man back then. It has been a long journey for my favorite team. Full of ups and downs…and a few big losses. None bigger than the one last year that abruptly ended their season. Yet, somehow they were able to pull it off this year. In this post, I will explore the reasons why they are better this year. As you might guess – it boiled down to leadership.
UVA men’s basketball team celebrate making the final four.
Last year’s season was magical
The 2018 season was a magical one for the UVA men’s basketball team. They finished with over 30 victories. They won the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) tournament beating rival North Carolina in the finals. UVA entered the NCAA tournament as the #1 ranked team in the nation. They were riding high and looked unstoppable. I was confident that they would win the tournament. I told all my friends to pick them. Then disaster struck.
UVA was ranked #1 going into last year’s tournament.
Last year’s NCAA tournament was a train wreck – they should have done better
UVA faced an unknown team in the first round, the #16 seeded UMBC Retrievers. UVA was supposed to win easily. They did not. They lost badly. It was a complete disaster. I have already written about why they lost that game. Needless to say, most UVA fans were skeptical about this year. How would the team recover from a train wreck like last year?
UVA lost by 20 points even though the score was tied at halftime.
This year’s season was similar to 2018
UVA had another sensational season this year. Once again they won over 30 games and finished the season highly ranked. Unfortunately, they did not win the ACC tournament and were not ranked #1 in the country going into the tournament. But, they were a #1 seed for the NCAA tournament which meant they would face another unknown #16 seed team during the first round. I am pretty sure all UVA were like me at the beginning of the tournament – nervous that lightning might strike again.
UVA was the #1 seed in the South.
They stumbled again in the first round but did not fall
UVA played Gardner-Webb in the first round. You have probably never heard of the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs. Neither had I. They are a scrappy three-point shooting team. By halftime, it did not look good for UVA. They were down by six points. All the announcers and analysts wondered if it was going to happen again this year. It didn’t. UVA came out in the second half and beat the Bulldogs handily. They outscored them by more than 20 points and walked away with a well-deserved win. They played better.
UVA played one helluva a second half to win this game.
The next two games went well for UVA – they were getting better
UVA also won the next two games. They beat both Oklahoma and Oregon without too much struggle. It was nice to see that the team had their swagger back and were playing well. For the next round, they faced the Purdue Boilermakers who had just beat the Tennessee Volunteers in an epic overtime game. Everyone anticipated that the UVA vs. Purdue game would be a barn burner. It was – one for the ages.
UVA gained momentum by beating Oklahoma and Oregon.
The first half against Purdue was tough
UVA did not look good the first half against Purdue. Their best shooter remained cold, and Purdue’s best shooter was hitting three-pointers. Luckily, the finished the first half almost tied. The Cavaliers went into halftime and Coach Tony Bennett decided to change the strategy. It was obvious to me that he had learned the most important lesson from last year’s loss. He made adjustments and went to “Plan B” for the second half.
UVA trailed by only a point at halftime. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
The “B” in “Plan B” stood for Big
Coach Bennett changed his lineup for the second half. He put in taller players like Jack Salt to try to disrupt the Perdue offense. It worked, although Perdue’s best shooter, Carsen Edwards, remained hot almost the entire game. This simple change helped keep the game close, not slip away like the loss to UMBC. It was a brilliant move by Coach Bennett.
Jack Salt’s defensive play helped keep the game close.
They addressed the biggest challenge
Carsen Edwards played the game of his life against UVA. He scored 42 points. He was killing the Cavaliers with three-point shots. Coach Bennett decided to have DeAndre Hunter defend against him. DeAndre is the best defensive player in the country according to many experts. This change helped limit Edward’s impact as much as possible. Other Purdue players struggled to pick up the slack whenever Edwards could not score.
Carsen Edwards was the best player in the game.
The coach called a play that gave them a chance to win
In the final seconds of the game, it looked like the Cavaliers would not win. Purdue was up by two points with 5.9 seconds left on the clock. Ty Jerome was shooting his second free throw. If he makes the shot UVA is still down by a point and Purdue would get the ball back. Coach Bennett told Jerome to miss the shot so that they had a chance to win. If UVA could make another basket before the clock ran out they would win. The odds were not good, but Coach Bennett called the play anyway. What happened next was magic.
UVA picked up the pace when it was needed
The game went into overtime. UVA picked up their pace during overtime. They outhustled Purdue and put the pressure on them. It paid off. UVA won the game by five points. Purdue played a great game but lost in the end. I believe Coach Bennett’s leadership made the difference. He led well and his team responded. They are in the final four for the first time in 35 years.
UVA celebrates going to the final four this year.
What about you? Are you getting better as a leader?
What lessons did you learn last year as a leader? Are you applying those lessons so that your team overcomes obstacles and wins the game? In 2018 Coach Tony Bennett took a lot of heat from the press and others about his team’s dismal performance in the NCAA tournament. He leveraged the lessons learned from that experience to lead his team to the final four this year. I hope you do the same. Your team deserves it. ATW Leadership! is here to help.
Coach Bennett hugs his dad, his mentor, after the game.
ATW! is designed to make you a better leader
I hope you join me on this journey to raise up the next generation of leaders. The world is in desperate need of more great leaders. Women and men who lead with confidence, clarity, and creativity. It’s time to become the leader that your world needs. Let’s go All The Way!
The NCAA men’s basketball tournament was excellent this year. Last year both the men’s and women’s competitions were thrilling, full of great games. This week I will talk about leadership lessons from last year’s men’s tournament. I have already mentioned this in previous posts, and I will say it again. Leaders can learn a lot from sports. Many of these lessons are directly applicable to the real world. You must have a “Plan B”.
Villanova won the 2018 NCAA Men’s basketball championship.
The wrong team won the men’s tournament last year
Villanova won another championship – their second one in three years. Winning the tournament is challenging. Winning it multiple times is really difficult. It is an impressive accomplishment. Villanova was not supposed to win the tournament. Sure they were one of the top seeds. But, they were not the top-seeded team. The University of Virginia was the unanimous #1 team going into the tournament. My mighty Cavaliers were supposed to win it all. They didn’t. In the last post, I described why a great team like UVa loses. Now I am going to describe the one major lesson we can learn as leaders from their historic loss.
UVa was crushed by UMBC in the first round of the tournament.
Major leadership lesson – have a “Plan B”…always
Things never turn out quite the way we plan them. We all know this, especially as leaders. It is extremely rare that everything goes perfectly for you and your team. You will face obstacles. It is a given. In their historic loss, UVa’s plan was not working. For several reasons, Tony Bennett’s system was failing them and they fell further behind as the game progressed. Unfortunately, they did not really have a “Plan B”, or they chose not to change their plan. They did not make the proper adjustments and paid the price. They lost. Don’t let this happen to you as a leader. You must have a “Plan B”…always. Always!!
UVa’s plan was not working and the players did not know what to do.
Leaders are responsible for having “Plan B”
Your team looks to you for leadership. Part of your many responsibilities is to determine when it is time for “Plan B’. Do not be surprised if your team turns to you and asks “what do we do now” when the current plan is not working. They will. They may wonder if they are on the right team if you do not have any ideas about what to do, much less a “Plan B”. Don’t disappoint them by choosing to ignore the signs that the current plan is not working, and tell them to just keep going. Winning teams make adjustments along the way.
Looks for signs of trouble. Everything is not always fine. (Photo by Justin Lubin/NBC)
The “everything will be fine” mentality
I have fallen into this trap many times. It is a naive approach. Don’t stick your head in the sand and hope that things will get better. Make the call. Change to “Plan B”. Of course, it is impossible to implement a “Plan B” if you do not have one. Leaders are responsible for having a “Plan B”. Don’t rely on your team’s performance to overcome the fact that you did not plan well enough to include a “Plan B”. It is not fair to them. Do your job as a leader.
Coach Tony Bennett failed to implement a Plan B during the game.
Good leaders create “Plan B” well before it is needed
Trying to make up a “Plan B” on the spot can be challenging. I am not saying it is impossible. I have served with leaders who were quick thinkers and could figure out a new plan on the spot. They were at their best when the situation around them was falling apart. But, that leadership attribute is rare. Most of us do our best thinking when things are calm, not in the heat of battle. Think about your contingencies and talk through “Plan B” with your team beforehand. This approach will give your team more confidence and better prepare them for success.
In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Your team may have “Plan B” already figured out
As the leader, you are responsible for having a “Plan B”. But, that does not mean you should avoid getting inputs from your team members. When you talk through contingency plans ask your team for inputs. Ask them questions like how should we respond if this happens. They may already have “Plan B” figured out, especially your more experienced team members. Leverage their knowledge and experience for the good of the team. Some of the best contingency plans I executed as a leader came from team members, not me. Here is an example from my own career.
Your team may already know the best answer for “Plan B”.
What to do when your normal approach will not work
One time my client faced a challenging situation and I was not sure what to do. She was asked to radically revamp the organization’s strategy, and to do it quickly. When I asked her how long my team had to craft the new strategy she said a month. Wow – that was fast given the size of the organization. I met with my team to discuss our approach. We laid out the timeline using our normal strategic planning process and came to the conclusion that it would take three months. We had one month, not three. Obviously, we needed a “Plan B” before we even got started.
Plan B may be your best option from the start.
Sometimes the “B” in “Plan B” stands for bold
I had no idea what we were going to do so I solicited ideas from my strategy experts. The two most junior members of the group had some ideas that just might work. They recommended we use a new approach known as design thinking to formulate the strategy. I was somewhat familiar with design thinking but had not implemented it before. Next, we would create a short powerpoint deck for the strategy instead of the normal lengthy word document. Lastly, we would repurpose time at an upcoming event to gather feedback from stakeholders in a group setting vice in separate meetings.
Design thinking requires a new way of collaborating.
Get buy-in for your “Plan B”
The plan they described was bold. Would it work? I did not know, but it was worth a shot since we did not have any better ideas. We briefed the new plan to our client. We told her it was bold but we were committed to making it happen. She was willing to try it. It was a radical shift from the normal approach, but it would achieve the result she needed.
You need to make sure everyone understands “Plan B”.
You must commit to Plan B or your team may fail
We moved forward with “Plan B”. Many stakeholders questioned the new approach. We heard questions like is this really going to work?Why aren’t we following the normal approach? All reasonable objections. My role as the leader was to address these questions and keep the team moving. I showed my commitment by not hedging my bets. Rather I was committed to “Plan B”, and the team knew it. We were either going to be successful together, or I would take the blame if it did not work. It is a risk that you must be willing to take.
Business is about people. It’s about passion. It’s about bold ideas, bold small ideas or bold large ideas.
Tom Peters
Some of your best results may come from “Plan B”
My team did not disappoint me, or the client. They worked hard. They made it happen. The new approach forced everyone to think differently about the solution. We came up with a much better strategy than the previous one. It was simple to understand and would propel the organization forward at a much faster pace. When our client briefed the new strategy to her boss it was a huge hit. Big success based on a bold “Plan B” from two junior team members who had the courage to share their idea.
Success may take a team.
What I learned from that experience
Afterward, I thought about what would have happened if we stuck with our normal approach. I am convinced we would have failed, just like UVa did during the NCAA Men’s basketball tournament. Make sure you always have a “Plan B”. You never know when you will need it, and your “Plan B” may end up being the better way in the long run.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost Poem
ATW! is designed to make you a better leader
I hope you join me on this journey to raise up the next generation of leaders. The world is in desperate need of more great leaders. Women and men who lead with confidence, clarity, and creativity. It’s time to become the leader that your world needs. Let’s go All The Way!
A year ago disaster struck. Millions witnessed the best men’s college basketball team in the country have a total meltdown. I watched in horror as my mighty University of Virginia Cavaliers experienced the biggest upset ever in the NCAA Men’s basketball tournament. UVA lost to the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) Retrievers by 20 points. How in the world did they lose that game?
UVA lost by 20 points even though the score was tied at halftime.
The game was not even close
I will say it again – UVA lost to UMBC by 20 points!! Many expected UVA to rally and win like the Louisville game I described in a previous post. It did not happen. The game only got worse and worse in the final few minutes. Like other alum, I turned off the television and went to bed shocked at what had just happened.
We lost by 20? We lost by 20. By 20 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. That pretty much sums it up itself.
Devon Hall, Guard on the UVA basketball team
There are always surprises in March Madness
Upsets are common in the NCAA tournament. They happen every year. But, this loss was different. The top-seeded team lost in the first round to the lowest-seeded team. I will say that again – the #1 team lost to the #16 seeded team in the bracket. As we all now know a #1 team had never lost to a #16 seeded team before…in the history of the tournament.
UVA was the #1 seed in the South bracket. UMBC was the #16 seed.
It was a blowout of epic proportions
What in the world happened? What caused this historic loss? In this post, I will explain why they lost and what we can learn from the game. For leaders, some of the best lessons come from when things go horribly wrong.
Who has never tasted what is bitter does not know what is sweet.
German Proverb
Most college basketball games are close up until the end
It is somewhat rare that a college basketball team is losing by so many points that they do not have a chance to win. Do blowouts happen? Sure, but many games are won in the last minute. The NCAA tournament is well known for its last-second victories. They happen every year. It is one reason so many fans watch the games. They are usually exciting up to the end. In this game, the last minute did not matter. The unprecedented upset was completed well before the final whistle.
Players on the bench watch in dismay as UVA fails to rally against UMBC.
There are many reasons a sports team loses
In all sports, a team can lose for many reasons. In basketball, it is important that a team play well on both offense and defense. Coaching philosophy and strategy seem to matter a lot. Most of the best teams in the country have the best coaches. UVA falls into this category. Shooting free throws can make a difference, especially in the final minutes. Keeping your players out of foul trouble is also important. Many factors go into determining whether a college basketball team wins or loses. Great coaches pay attention to all these factors as the game progresses so that they can position their team for the win.
Coach K is well known for being a great coach during the tournament. They keep winning.
Life is not much different when it comes to winning
I believe that the same is true in life, especially in business. There are many reasons your team will win or lose. You may have a bad strategy. You may not be a good leader yet. Your team may perform poorly when it matters most. Your competitors may simply be better than you and your team. They may have a superior product, a lower price, or a better plan. The list goes on. As a leader, it is important to learn from your losses so that you do not repeat the same mistakes over and over. A leader who loses and fails to learn from his mistakes will eventually be replaced by someone who knows how to win. It is the reality we face as leaders. Win or the organization will move on to a new leader.
UVA Head Coach Tony Bennett contemplates why his team does not play well during March Madness.
Why did the UVa Cavaliers lose to the UMBC Retrievers?
There are many reasons that UVa failed to beat UMBC. They lost a key player to an injury a few days before which drew much attention. I am not convinced being down one player is why they stumbled. Instead, I believe that UVA lost badly for three specific reasons. All three of them relate directly to leadership. I admire Coach Tony Bennett for his leadership philosophy, coaching prowess and ability to win. But, he did not perform well as the leader in this situation. He admitted the same after the game.
UVa Coach Tony Bennett talking about the historic loss after the game.
1. They failed to adjust their plan when it was not working
UVa looked good at first. They opened up a nice lead and seemed to be cruising along despite missing a key player. Trouble started to show. UMBC tied the game by halftime. The score was low which is not unusual. UVa’s defense is known for keeping the score low. Something happened after halftime. UMBC caught fire, scoring a lot of three-point shots. UVa was unable to respond. They struggled to score and the gap widened. Their plan was not working, and Coach Bennett did not make any major adjustments. He kept the team playing the same defense and offense, despite the fact it was not working. His unwillingness to change the plan cost them dearly as the game progressed.
UMBC shot 50% for three-pointers, much better than UVa.
2. They did not solve the biggest challenge
UVa is usually able to keep the score low, and the game close. They are not a good come from behind team, and they know it. This game was different. They were unable to stop UMBC from scoring. It was no great mystery how the other team was scoring so many points. UMBC was drilling three-point shots. One of their players, in particular, Jairus Lyles, was having the game of his life. Every shot he took seemed to score. UVa did little to adjust the defense to stop him from scoring. Jarius ended the game with 28 points, twice as many as any other UMBC player. UVa failed to solve the biggest challenge – UMBC’s ability to score three-point shots.
Jairus Lyles scores one of his many baskets on the usually tough UVa defense.
3. They did not pick up the pace when it was needed
Things got worse as the second-half progressed. With ten minutes left in the game, UVa was losing by 16 points which is a lot. It was time to rally, time to pick up the pace. They kept playing the same offense. There was a little more sense of urgency, but not the kind you would expect to see when a #1 team is losing to the #16 by 16 points with only ten minutes left. Was there plenty of time left in the game? Sure. I am simply pointing out that sometimes a team needs to pick up the pace a lot to win. If you are losing badly the last thing you should do is act like everything is fine. In this case, it was not. The situation did not improve. It got worse.
UMBC increased their intensity in the second half. UVa failed to respond. Credit: Chris Keane
The worst losses happen when you are expected to win
Losing sucks. I do not know any leader who enjoys losing. If I did I would recommend he or she stop leading and become a follower. The most difficult losses happen when you are expected to win. That is what happened to UVa. The game was supposed to be a cakewalk for them. They probably thought that going into the game, and paid the price. They ended up losing by 20 points. It was humiliating. The #1 team in the country lost what may become known as the worst upset in NCAA tournament history.
UMBC picked apart the UVa defense the last few minutes for easy baskets like this dunk.
You can avoid losing by not making the same mistakes
If you want to win as a leader it is important to learn from the mistakes of others. Make sure that you avoid this scenario. When you realize that your plan is not working – change the plan. Don’t hope that the situation will improve when you know deep in your heart that it won’t. Deal with the biggest challenges your team faces. Figure out what is causing the problems and fix them.
Pick up the pace so that your team can win, not lose
It is easy to fall into the trap of acting like everything is fine when it isn’t. I have witnessed this naive approach too many times to count during my career. Be a better leader. Next week I will go into more detail about how to avoid a historic loss for your team. You can do it, and we are here to help.
In the end, it was a remarkable season but we got thoroughly outplayed and that’s the reality of it. I hate for this team to lose like this. If you play this game and step into the arena, this stuff can happen.
Tony Bennett, UVA Head basketball coach
ATW! is designed to make you a better leader
I hope you join me on this journey to raise up the next generation of leaders. The world is in desperate need of more great leaders. Women and men who lead with confidence, clarity, and creativity. It’s time to become the leader that your world needs. Let’s go All The Way!
Leaders are expected to achieve results, make things happen, and get stuff done. Some tasks that you need to accomplish as a leader will be easy. You check them off the list quickly and move on to the next item. Other tasks may take more time, effort, and energy. They will challenge you. And sometimes you will face a really difficult task. One that seems impossible to complete. You may have no idea how to complete the task. You may be overwhelmed simply by the thought of attempting to complete the task. I am going to refer to this type of task as “the shark” because it is frightening. I don’t know anyone who is not afraid of sharks. Just thinking about swimming in the ocean near a shark gives me the chills. Perhaps it does for you also.
Who wants to see a shark nearby when swimming in the ocean? Scary!
Jaws scared everyone
I fear sharks because of a famous movie released in the 1970s called Jaws. According to Wikipedia, Jaws is a 1975 American film directed by Steven Spielberg. It was based on Peter Benchley’s 1974 novel of the same name. In the story, a giant man-eating great white shark attacks beachgoers on Amity Island, a fictional New England summer resort town. It is a great movie. A scary movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and make you think twice about going out into the water the next time you visit the beach. Jaws is considered one of the greatest films ever made, a blockbuster hit. It became the highest-grossing film of all time until the release of Star Wars in 1977.
Jaws made us all wonder if it was safe to go into the water.
Leaders need to be brave enough to get in the water
In Jaws, someone must hunt down the shark in order to keep the town safe. Somebody must face the shark, or else the town will be in trouble. Residents will not be safe. Tourists will not visit either. The local economy will suffer. A really bad situation for everyone will result. The local police chief played by Roy Scheider is chosen as the leader. He has some help, but not much. None the less, he leads the three-person team to hunt down the shark. It is a daunting task. As the movie progresses we learn that the shark is a lot larger than expected, and much more difficult to kill than any of them anticipated. Despite all these challenges, they accomplish the mission and kill the shark. If you have not seen the movie, I will not spoil it for you. Watch it tonight on Netflix, or YouTube.
The team tries many methods to kill the shark in Jaws.
After all, somebody has to hunt the shark
If you are a leader, you will likely have to deal with “the shark” at some point. What do I mean by “the shark”? A task that terrifies you, but must be done. An important issue that you have to address. A complex problem that needs a solution. A challenge that others have failed to solve. “The shark” could be many things. It might be your competition, the market conditions, your crazy client, a looming deadline, a problem employee, your nagging boss, or anything else that puts you on edge. Sure you can do your best to avoid “the shark”. But, you know deep in your heart that you will have to face “the shark” at some point if you are going to succeed as a leader. If you don’t “the shark” will continue to terrorize you, and more sharks will show up.
If you don’t hunt “the shark” more will show up over time.
You may need a team to kill the shark
Just like in the movie, you are going to need help dealing with “the shark”. Don’t go it alone. Roy Scheider’s character recruits two team members to help with the hunt – a marine biologist and a professional shark hunter. An expert who knows a lot about sharks and someone with relevant experience. I recommend you take a similar approach when hunting “the shark”. Identify and solicit the help of experts and those who have experience. A mentor or peer may have the exact insight or solution you need. Do not be afraid to ask for help, and always offer help to other leaders when they approach you for help. None of us should hunt “the shark” alone.
The team who hunt the shark in Jaws. A professional shark hunter, the local sheriff, and a marine biologist.
All The Way Leadership! is here to help
All the Way Leadership! is here to help. This year I will continue releasing relevant content for leaders who are looking to increase their effectiveness, to get better at hunting “the shark”. I will start publishing a weekly leadership journal later this year. It will contain curated content from a diverse set of leading experts. This summer I plan to launch an online leadership course. I will do all that we can to help leaders everywhere get better at hunting “the shark”. The good news for all of us leaders is that the more times you hunt sharks, the better you get. Your confidence will grow along with your leadership abilities.
ATW! is designed to make you a better leader
I hope you join me on this journey to raise up the next generation of leaders. The world is in desperate need of more great leaders. Women and men who lead with confidence, clarity, and creativity. It’s time to become the leader that your world needs. Let’s go All The Way!
