Winning Is a Team Sport
GAME CHANGER
DARIUS WISE
Darius Wise is Managing Member at Pivot Consulting Group . Darius will be a Game Changer Speaker at the 2023 Education Conference on May 25 .
What ’ s your favorite sports moment ? Whether you grew up playing or simply watching , most of us can think of an iconic moment in sports history that is etched in our minds forever ! Whether it ’ s the thrill of watching our team navigate the drama of pulling out the last-second victory , or our favorite player concur insurmountable odds to achieve the unthinkable – over several centuries sports have inspired us all . How about the Chicago Bulls of the 90s , led by non-other than the undisputed greatest basketball player of all time , Michael Jordan , and head coach , Phil Jackson ? Or the New York Yankees of the ’ 50s , led by Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra ? Or the 2000-2010 New England Patriots – Tom Brady and Bill Belichick ( that ’ s even hard for me to say as a die-hard Broncos fan :)? Or try googling names like – Serena Williams ,
Michael Phelps , or Allison Felix … their achievements are legendary and will live on for many generations .
More than its entertainment value , sports have a way of teaching us some of life ’ s most valuable lessons . And for me , one of the most valuable lessons that I ’ ve learned over the last 4 + decades of participating in sports is that success is a team sport ! Both personally and professionally , success is a culmination of multiple people aligning around a common cause to achieve something they otherwise couldn ’ t do alone .
The composition of each team varies depending on the desired outcome , but one thing is true , in order to achieve high levels of success , it necessitates that everyone is aligned and moving in the same direction . We must pool the collective strength and expertise of each person on the team in order to win ! There ’ s an old African proverb that
says , “ if you want to go fast , go alone , if you want to go far , go together .” If you ’ re not experiencing the kind of success you desire both personally and professionally , I want you to pause for a moment and evaluate your team , and your performance as a key contributor .
That ’ s right , I called you a key contributor because that ’ s what you are . Irrespective of your role on the team ( player , owner , coach , trainer , dietitian , etc .), you are a key contributor to achieving the end goal . So , it ' s evaluation time … are you winning in life and business ?
Are you in the right role that enables you to leverage your brilliance and expertise for the good of the team ? Are you clear on where you are going and how you plan to get there ? If not , call a timeout , bring everyone together , get clear , get aligned , get back in the game , and GO WIN ! www . aamdhq . org APRIL 2023 TRENDS | 29