I could have chosen to talk about the Patriots or Panthers, but instead I chose to focus on the win streak that the Golden State Warriors have going on in the NBA this season. It’s not that one winning streak is better than the others (it doesn’t get better than undefeated), it’s how they have gone about it and what we can learn from their players and coaches. I am a Rockets fan so this is by far the viewpoint of a homer/fan. With that said, they have something truly special going on that is worth diving into and seeing what we can apply to our business teams. I wanted to do this by focusing on some recent quotes.
- “I’m completely okay with the fact that the wins don’t count on any record book for me,” said Luke Walton. Since Walton is an assistant to Steve Kerr (Kerr is not able to coach for health reasons so Walton is leading the team in games), the wins are counting for Kerr and not Walton. I think we can learn how important it is to have a top-down commitment from our teams. It would be great if all coaches/team leads in organizations were more concerned with team wins than their own career achievements.
- “Whether or not we get it, it really doesn’t affect our ultimate goal of trying to win a championship,” said Luke Walton. Here’s another lesson for management and team leaders to stay focused on the big picture and goals of the organization. It’s a long NBA season and the Warriors know that from the top to the bottom of the organizational chart. Their eyes remain on the prize which is to win another championship.
- “It would be a cool milestone,” Klay Thompson said. “Shows how special this team can be.” It is important though to recognize that our teams are doing something special when they are on a streak of wins. That’s far from losing focus it’s just appreciating a moment in time and recognizing that your team gets it. There is nothing wrong with appreciating the fact that you are on a great team.
- “It’s kind of a quiet confidence that we don’t feel like we’re going to lose anytime soon,” Stephen Curry said. I think this is a defining characteristic of this team. They aren’t cocky about it, they just believe they can get it done. That’s the kind of team that I want to be a part of and that I’d like to have throughout my organization. How about you?
- “The way we’re playing … we can get even better, ” Stephen Curry said. I think striving to get better realizing that we are never going to be perfect is a great outlook/attitude to have. No matter how many wins your team racks up, knowing you can all individually and collectively perform better is contagious. Staying hungry and pushing yourself is a great way to keep your team and organization moving in a positive direction.
It’s really hard to dislike the Warriors with the way they have been handling themselves (for me it’s impossible). Even though we all know it’s a long season and they will most likely lose at some point, I’d like to see them get the record tonight and start 16-0 (I can’t believe I just typed that). It seems like a classy organization and I think we can learn a lot from how they are going about their business every day.
The quotes used came from the following articles: