Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Sustainable Competitive Advantage

Seek ‘sustainable competitive advantage.’ As teams and individuals find models. For example, examine Villanova’s Jalen Brunson, demonstrating skill, versatility, and toughness.

To maximize the limited resources among size, athleticism, and skill, what is needed? We need people, purpose, process, and persistence.


People are our who. Jim Collins in Good to Great says that it’s about getting the right people on the bus, the wrong people off, and then knowing where to drive. Larry Bossidy captures the triad of people, strategy, and operations in Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done.


Purpose is our ‘why.’ Purpose is greater than passion. Purpose serves our community and the character of our players. Purpose teaches sharing, accountability, unity, gratitude, and humility. 


Process is our ‘how.’ Kaizen...continuous quality improvement. Create continual ascension and competitive fury. Top coaches don’t just rely on talent, but encourage development among fundamentals, collaboration, and psychology. The brilliance of the Jay Wrights and Geno Auriemmas materializes during the biggest moments of the biggest games.


Each of us establishes our philosophy and forges a culture and identity that we believe in. Model excellence in everything we do. As coach of the 49ers, Bill Walsh wanted the same excellence from a receptionist answering phones or groundskeepers as he expected from his coaches and players.


Jay Wright Clinic Notes from PickandPop.net


Early Geno Auriemma Clinic Notes


Persistence is our ‘when.’ “We are what we repeatedly do,” began Aristotle. “Excellence then, is not an act but a habit.” For Urban Meyer’s Buckeyes, crossing the red line around the field means readiness to work. Persistence informs how we communicate, how we practice, how we care for ourselves and others, how we study, and how we play.


Sustainable competitive advantage is the sum of who we are and what we do.