Business can be a rough and tumble arena at times, as the zero sum nature of many industries attract those with a competitive drive.
As a result, many apt comparisons are drawn between them and team sports, another area of life where there are clear-cut winners and losers.
Therefore, it should come as no surprise that this field attracts many former athletes, as they know what it takes to succeed in this arena. Haris Ahmed Chicago played sports in his younger years, using the lessons he learned to help propel himself to the success he now enjoys.
Want to join him in the winner’s circle? Here are some lessons gleaned from team sports that can help you win at business.
1) Perseverance eventually leads to success
If you want to win the championship, throwing in the towel when you lose the first game of the season isn’t going to get it done.
You have to come back harder and smarter, willing to do the things you didn’t do in the last match. By not quitting when the going gets tough, you’ll give yourself a chance to succeed in business. The gold goes to those who are in it for the long haul – hang in there.
2) Losing comes with vital lessons
Whether you like it or not, you will lose games on the way to a winning season. Every team has areas where they need to improve, and losses provide the perfect opportunity to reflect on what needs to change in order to become the best squad possible.
When you set out into the business arena, there will be times when things go poorly, especially in the early going.
Rookies aren’t the only ones that need to look for ways to improve, though, as even the experienced often fall prey to the self-delusion that they know everything, making it hard for them to learn from their missteps.
By being honest with yourself and evaluating the processes and skills you need to revamp, you can propel your enterprise forward.
3) You can only move forward together
A team only moves as fast as its slowest members. As a result, coaching staffs constantly work to motivate those who are falling behind, as improvement in their performance can affect results on the field dramatically.
In the same way, businesses which hold underperforming members accountable often see an effort that is dramatically stepped up after being made aware of their poor performance, leading to better results not just for themselves, but the entire business as a whole.
4) You have to be willing to be coached
Early on in your business journey, you will be scrambling for the information needed to help you succeed.
It is the same way when you started out in football, baseball, or hockey – to get the basic skills down, you needed to listen to your coach as they taught you to skate, run plays, or hit a ball.
When you get older, though, one gets resistant to this, as you think you know everything needed to succeed.
However, people like this often have trouble making elite teams when they are older, as the margin of error is dramatically smaller.
Similarly, those wanting to make high six figures and beyond via their business need to be open to coaching from mentors and teachers in their industry.
Resist the know-it-all impulse, and the sky is the limit.