NPR shared an interview with my sister, Laura Sen. She always stayed on top of her game and her message has relevance to our game...the focus, the relentlessness on performance. Interdisciplinary messages translate...retail to roundball.
"My mother wanted us to be the best we could be."
"Performance trumps prejudice."
Interviewer: via Amy Chua, "You've got to be number one; you've just gotta do it. It's not an option."
"It was never a burden, the expectation was a welcome one."
"Retailing is the perfect blend between art and science." (In basketball, we blend creativity with fundamentals, functionality, and analytics.
"Customers move on to the retailers they find to be more relevant." (Great coaches move on to the more relevant players. As a player or coach, how do I stay relevant? We have to evolve constantly.)
"...what they know is so valuable..." (We need feedback from team members.)
"I think hard about what works." (Do more of what works and less of what doesn't.)
"The world is round...you always run into people...again and again." (Treat people well because you will see them again.)
"I get way more back than I ever give." (Share!)
"The tool we have...in finding solutions...is communication." (Develop communication skills and emotional intelligence. Ask the question that everyone wants to know.)