Regardless of what industry you are in, winning is never easy. It requires hard work, sacrifice, strong leadership, and a winning culture just to name a few. But by their own admission, there is one organization who is seemingly making winning look incredibly easy.
A Historic Team
Earlier this week, the University of Connecticut men’s basketball team, coached by Dan Hurley, won their second consecutive national championship defeating the Purdue Boilermakers 75-60.
Over the course of six tournament games, UConn defeated their opponents by a total of 140 points. Their average margin of victory of 23.3 points was the second most in tournament history. Even more impressive is the team never trailed in the second half of any tournament game.
The UConn mens championship team was dominant.
Coach Hurley spoke with Fox Sports and Big East commentator John Fanta after the game. When asked, “How is this real”, he said, “You get NBA-level talent, about the right things, total team guys, you have the best staff in the country, you have the resources UConn provides, and obviously it’s incredibly hard to do. The hardest tournament, the hardest playoffs to win we’ve made look a lot easier than it is.”
You can watch the full interview by clicking the image below. Afterwards, I will provide six things I gleaned from the interview that Coach Dan Hurley and the UConn Men’s basketball team did that made winning look easy.
To Make Winning Look Easy You Need Elite Talent
Coach Hurley said, “You get NBA-level talent.” Another back-to-back national championship coach Kirby Smart said, “Guys, if you don’t recruit, there is no coach out there than can out-coach recruiting. I don’t care who you are. The best coach to ever play the game better be a good recruiter because no coaching is going to out-coach players.”
To Make Winning Look Easy You Must Be About The Right Things
Coach Hurley noted his program was “about the right things.” Many leaders do not know what causes winning and losing. By identifying and focusing on the actual things that causes UConn to succeed, Hurley has built an elite culture.
To Make Winning Look Easy You Need Selfless People
Coach Hurley recruits “total team guys.” He also pointed out in another interview, “We recruit really talented NBA players that are willing to not make it about themself. To be a part of a winning group and to go for all the championships.”
Winning teams are made up of individuals who put the team’s goals and objectives ahead of their own.
To Make Winning Look Easy Surround Yourself With Great Leaders
Coach Hurley praised his fellow coaches saying he had “the best staff in the country.” John Maxwell’s Law of the Inner Circle teaches that those closest to the leader determine the success of the leader.
One of the best things you can do to ensure winning is to attract the best staff you possibly can. They will lighten your load, compensate for your weaknesses, and make you look better than you really are.
To Make Winning Look Easy You Need A Resource Strategy
Coach Hurley was grateful for “the resources UConn provides.” Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Maxwell adds that where there are no resources, the vision perishes.
Financial resources provide fuel for your organization and position you for sustainable success.
To Make Winning Look Easy You Must Count The Costs
Even though UConn has won back-to-back national championships in dominating style, Coach Hurley knows how hard winning at an elite level is. He concluded, “Obviously it’s incredibly hard to do. The hardest tournament, the hardest playoffs to win we’ve made look a lot easier than it is.”
Conclusion
To make winning look easy, you must:
- Have elite talent.
- Be about the right things.
- Have selfless people.
- Develop a strong inner-circle.
- Have a resource strategy.
- Count the costs.
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