Last night, The Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-97 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.
Although this wasn’t necessarily surprising in light of recent events (in part thanks to multiple injuries to hit the Cavaliers’ starting lineup), a few months ago, not many would have pegged the Warriors as NBA Champions. With a young team, a rookie head coach and an organization that hadn’t won a championship in 40 years, any better worth his or her salt likely would have overlooked the Warriors from San Francisco in favor of a team with a better track record and much more veteran experience.
What lesson can be learned from this victory? Mainly that just because you’re not expected to be champions, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t strive to be champions.
Unexpected victories aren’t exclusive to sports. Underdogs are visible all throughout history, whether looking at military battles, or even just everyday people who fight cancer or overcome a lifetime of poverty. Businesses can be underdogs as well. Just take a look at Apple, for example. In 1996 its sales had plummeted by 30 percent, prior to Steve Jobs’ return in 1997. After re-joining the company he had co-founded, Apple had one of the biggest comebacks in business history, becoming one of the most successful tech companies in the world.
What you can learn from these stories is that no feat is insurmountable, as long as you have both courage and determination to succeed.
In your health club business you may face similar circumstances. Maybe you’re passionate about a new venture, but have been told it can never work. Maybe your business made a blunder in the past that you’re still striving to overcome.
Regardless of the situation, keep the stories of underdogs rising to the top in mind as inspiration. Just because you’re not expected to succeed, that doesn’t mean you can’t.
The Golden State Warriors are a great example. Today they bask in the glory of a hard-earned victory against a team with arguably the most talented player in NBA history.
What other lessons do you think can be gleaned from their victory?
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
What a great story on the underdogs. I have been involved in a business turnaround for the past five years at Star Trac Fitness Products. It is so rewarding to dig in your heels, make a difference every day and show the naysayers. The end result (in our case was a company turn-around) was most rewarding. It’s always great to try harder and incorporate the power of one (one more client visit, one more call, one more post or one more creative marketing idea. Success is a journey, one day and one customer engagement at a time. Thank you for the post and congratulations to the Golden State Warriors – you worked together and won!
Glad you enjoyed it Sal! Thanks for commenting and sharing your point of view.
Rachel,
Here’s another lesson. Everybody said that a “jumpshooting” team could never win a championship. Charles Barkley said that a team who relies on the three point shot could never win an NBA championship. Golden State led the league in made 3’s, and scored primarily on jumpshots as opposed to points in the paint. They did it by leading the league in assisted points (team work!) They did not try to be better at what everyone else was doing, they blazed a new trail. They became the first to do what they did. Being first is often better than just being best at the same old same old.
Great points Jay. Thank you!