“Curiosity is more important than intelligence.”
It was that quote from MIT Sloan that has stuck with me as I looked back on a grand few weeks up and down the Northeast Corridor from Washington to Philly to New York to Boston and back. It was a wonderful few weeks of our own form of early March Madness, with hopefully more to come.
Some notes on lessons learned and best practices to share.
“Follow the character.”
One of the best things in being out and about amongst so many smart people, especially on the storytelling side, is you get to listen and learn. There were two conversations I listened to well away from the stage…one was with the authors Michael Lewis and Bruce Scheinfeld in a hallway at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics conference (the quote above was shared on how Lewis is able to seek out what he wants to write about…often times he said, the character doesn’t know it but seeks him and takes him where the story will go), the other was in the bowels of Madison Square Garden at a table with colleague Terry Lyons, longtime college administrator Chris Monasch and then the legendary writers Dick “Hoops” Weiss and Bob Ryan.
What was amazing was not just the photographic memory that the two of them have on games past, but how the gleefully related players and stories of yesteryear to the athletes they were seeing and covering today. Lesson learned: stories don’t get that old when told the correct way, maybe the tellers do a bit, but the basic emotions, the amazing skill, the nuances involved in sport, are pretty timeless, and those with the gift of brining stories to the fold can do that as well for audiences today than for those who followed them in print decades ago.
“Long term greedy”
Great line used by NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman relating to the steady growth of a property, or a league, or even an idea and wanting to make sure the narrative is wholistically owned not just for short wins, but for the distant future. It is not something that is easily stomached by those looking for a short term fix. We are in a world of instant ROI, quick gratification, and bombast controlling and distracting the goals. Long term goals and planning do require great listening and adjustment, but making sure the team is on board for a longer haul, through bumps and bruises, with a solid plan is what can win out over time. That takes leadership and buy in as well as over communication, all of which the best brands, teams, properties, leagues, organizations have.
“Data without story is useless.”
Good one from Valerie Camillo, Spectacor Sports & Entertainment , on The Future of the Fan: Innovation, Data, and “Always On” Engagement Panel at Sloan MIT. We are so reliant on data to tell us the story sometimes we forget that the numbers are only part of the narrative. In any business that involves humans, emotion, frailty, fallability all need to factor in, as does the ability to outwork to overcome what the numbers may be telling us alone. What is also missing from the data? Listening. Sometimes what we hear…and see…in real time can give us pause, and in a people business, that pause and adjustment can be worth millions.
“My job as a coach was to try best as we could to take the luck out of what we did. Be prepared for what we could control.”
Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics president of Basketball Operations, talked a great deal about controlling results and making sure that you put yourself in a position to be successful by communicating, listening, avoiding drama and paying deep attention to detail. Seems an awful lot like the old adage “Luck is the residue of design,” holding up for the Celts, and prior to that during a successful coaching career at Butler University to this day.
“In a clutch moment I have a chance to just be me. I can do what I do and not have to worry about all the other things I had to during a game.”
Retired basketball star Sue Bird talked a great deal about peak performance and overcoming obstacles in the moment, and although most of us will never be judged by millions because of a missed jump shot, the idea of delivering in the clutch, and being in the state of “Flow,” where everything around you other than the goal at hand is secondary, is certainly important in whatever we do. Once again avoiding drama, being ready for the moment, adjusting to the challenges that arise, and being able to communicate are key leadership qualities all should aspire to, and its how we can all make big shots in whatever we do.
“A great coach connects players with a future they don’t know”
Shane Battier, longtime NBA star now front office executive had perhaps the best line at Sloan on what makes a great leader, let alone coach. The sense of “Me” goes out the door when leading, and both helping and inspiring others to take a path not of choice but of necessity, and getting them down that path, is incredibility important, especially in the most challenging of times. Bridging and leading that gap of questionable doubt is so important for those who lead and inspire us.
Finally some notes from the changing look of leadership
It should be noted that for the first time at any “Co-ed” leadership conference we have attended that the makeup of speakers sided 51% women and people from diverse communities, and many times those new voices had the most interesting and unique thoughts.
Cases in point learned:
“94% of Fortune 500 businesses’ female CEOs were athletes and 52% were collegiate athletes. We help pave the path for them to the sports business.”
“The object is to set the trend, not follow one”
And lastly, from one of the diehards on a panel, the legendary Bill James.
“If you’re going to invest in a sport, invest in a women’s sport”
Now the best part of all these events remains the random encounters with colleagues new and from past events or places, but the ability to soundbite, curiously learn, observe and meld into a narrative when you are around smart people is so important.
Was it a bit of a grind? Actually no, the grind was welcomed, and the lessons learned invaluable.
Let’s see what comes next, a nd thanks all for the time.
y the way, to catch up on most of the Sloan goings on, and watch many of the panels, check out the website.
