March Madness and Leadership
I’m a college hoops fan. I eagerly await selection Sunday even more than Christmast. I can’t wait to fill out my bracket. Over the last few years we have seen an unusual amount of upsets. Not just early round upsets low ranked teams going deep in the tourney. This week end an 11 seed will play an 8 seed in the national semi final which means that one of them will be in the national championship game. This seems so far fetched that on ESPN.com there is literally only one person who has the final four right on their bracket.
What has changed? Why are perennial favorites dropping to mid majors and school we hardly know of?
Blue chips and veterans
You know the schools; the ones with the hall of fame coach and the blue chip recruits. The schools that every kids grows up wanting to play for.
They have gotten comfortable with their game. They run the same offense year in and year out. It’s old and it’s stale.
Young, fresh and creative
You might know his name already, Skaka Smart. 33 years old. He’s creative and he sees the court in a different way than the crafty veterans that we have always known. And guess what…it’s working!
I’m 33. Most days I feel like I’m looked at as just a kid. It’s a bummer. I feel like I’m in my prime of creativity and I have to fight for a chance to use my gifts.
I was at SXSW a couple weeks ago and the thing that occurred to me is that the people with the vision, leadership and chops that are changing culture right now are not in their 40s or even 30s, they are in their twenties.
I hope that when it is my turn to pass the keys to the next great mind…that I do it…before it’s too late.
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