The Oklahoma City Thunder’s remarkable turnaround in 2012 was the talk of the sports world when they advanced to their first NBA Finals in dramatic fashion. The NBA Playoffs have been a great example of how we find lessons in sports that we can apply to our every day lives.
How do we handle adversity, and on the flip side, how do we handle success?
The Thunder faced a Spurs team that had won 20 straight games. Down 2-0, the numbers said they had no chance. How did they respond? By reeling off four straight victories, rallying from an 18-point deficit in the decisive game, and becoming only the third team in NBA history to win four straight in the conference finals after trailing 2-0. You don’t have to be a sports fan to appreciate their fight.
Your Game Changer Takeaway
Successful people—in sports, business and life—share a common trait. They recover from adversity quickly. They don’t focus on the negative and they control what they can control. So what can we learn from the playoffs while we are enjoying the games?
Don’t let adversity unravel you. Allow it to motivate you and propel you forward.
The Molly Fletcher Company inspires leaders, teams and organizations to kick-start growth. A keynote speaker and author, Molly draws on her decades of experiences working as a sports agent. Her company’s Game Changer Negotiation Training workshops teach business people the framework for successful negotiating, so that you can close more deals while building stronger relationships. Sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter and subscribe to the Game Changers with Molly Fletcher podcast on iTunes.