It’s no secret that I love college basketball, and the Women’s NCAA Tournament is one of my favorite times of the year. March Madness always reminds me of the special year my 1976 Berry College women’s basketball team won a National Championship. The picture at the right is of the team, including our inspiring Coach James, at our reunion in January.

This year’s women’s tournament is one of the most exciting ones yet. The field is stacked with incredible talent, the coaches are dialed in, and the fans are more abundant than I can ever remember. Our 1976 team has been exchanging frequent group texts during the games, sharing our brackets and thoughts on the performances. It’s no surprise that we, like much of America, are caught up in the magic of championship women’s college basketball.

When you watch March Madness, do you think about what it takes for these young athletes to climb to the very top of their game? Some talent is natural, of course, but talent alone is not nearly enough to reach the highest levels of sport. It requires discipline, commitment, strategic thinking, and grit—the same skills we need to succeed in business and, frankly, in every part of life.

My experience on the 1976 Berry College women’s basketball team taught me a lot about what it takes to be a champion. Our Coach James instilled Christian values in our hearts that continue to guide and inspire every aspect of my life. And my 46-year career as a speaker, author, sales professional, entrepreneur, and philanthropist has offered me countless opportunities to put those values in action in my business and nonprofit organization.

You do not need to win the NCAA tournament to be a champion. We each meet champions throughout our lives—individuals with the skill, stamina, and resilience it takes to achieve personal and professional greatness. The question is, how can YOU join the ranks of these champions?

Champions approach every situation with a mentality that sets them apart.

So, inspired by the exciting women’s basketball action this week, here are three ways you can harness a champion’s mindset to set yourself apart from the competition.

 

1. Champions put in the extra reps.

Our lives are busy. It is hard to squeeze anything extra into a day when so many demands are already upon us. But champions find time to get in more practice, more workouts, and more repetitions than their opponents. Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark made headlines last summer when she shared her intense offseason workout: 100 three-point attempts, 100 mid-range attempts, and 100 free throws, along with conditioning and ball handling. She did it daily and at game speed, proving that working tirelessly on fundamentals can pay tremendous dividends.

“Hard work outweighs talent — every time. [It] is about 4 a.m. workouts, doing more than the next guy, and then trusting in the work you’ve put in when it’s time to perform.” 

-NBA great Kobe Bryant

Are you putting in the reps you need each day to achieve greatness in your field? Are you investing in yourself so that you are learning and growing? Are you building relationships, and seeing those relationships turn into leads and referrals? Do you post new and engaging content on your social media channels often? Do you regularly seek public speaking opportunities?

When champions want to see results, they work long hours in relentless pursuit of their goal. I urge you to rethink what is possible in your own business. Make sure you are managing your time wisely, so that not a moment is wasted as you chase your dreams.

 

2. Champions think strategically and “see the court.” .

Part of putting in the reps for these elite athletes is practicing every possible game scenario so many times that they inherently know what to do in each situation. They have “good court vision,” and are able to see open teammates and anticipate the movement of their opponents.

In sales, our version of seeing the court is perfecting our pitch for any potential customer. We practice it so that the words are second nature. We plan for questions, hesitations, and objections, and we prepare responses ahead of time. Any time spent considering and rehearsing your pitch prior to presentations or meetings is time well spent.

Seeing the court in business also means knowing how to utilize your teammates, or colleagues, in pivotal moments. Michael Jordan famously said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” Understanding when it is best to hand a task over to another member of your team, or when to ask for support, is essential to achieving champion-level success.

When you have an action plan in place for your own ‘gameday’ scenarios, you and your team will stride confidently into every sales call, just like a champion.

 

3. Champions believe they will win.

In today’s sports media environment, opinions are always divided about who will win a given game. Commentators are paid to go on the air and disagree about matchups, pick apart past performances, and make predictions. But a champion never wavers—a champion always wants to win and believes they will win.

“Winning is fun… Sure. But winning is not the point. Wanting to win is the point. Not giving up is the point. Never letting up is the point. Never being satisfied with what you’ve done is the point.”

-Pat Summitt, legendary coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols

It is natural for all of us to have periods of self-doubt. But for champions, the belief in themselves and their team is much greater than their fear. Their desire to succeed fuels a fire much too large to be extinguished by negativity. These are the moments champions come to lean on their core values, like the ones Coach James taught me and my teammates.

One way to keep stoking the flame of success is by celebrating your wins, big and small. Take stock of your victories, from signing a new client, to empowering a staff member to take on a new role, to keeping your resolution of emailing weekly newsletters to your distribution list. When you sit down and consider how much you have accomplished, it will energize you to keep wanting to achieve!

Ultimately, the strategies that the talented collegiate athletes use to propel themselves towards victory are the same ones anyone needs to compel personal success. To be a champion of any field, you must have relentless drive, strategic vision, and belief in yourself. Combine those traits with your natural talent, and you will be a force to be reckoned with, no doubt!

At Celeste Giordano Consulting, we work with clients to identify exactly what is holding them back from becoming champions of their field. If you are ready to charge the court but aren’t quite sure how, contact me today to set up a quick, no obligation phone call. Together, we can make a plan to help you achieve greatness!

 

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Celeste Giordano’s mission is to help business owners develop the skills, knowledge and attitude necessary to “DoublePlus™” their income and become effective and inspirational leaders in their fields. Whether it’s taking your successful business to the next level or starting a new venture, she will teach you the exact skills and strategies you need to enroll more quality prospects, build a rock-solid team, and break through obstacles to achieve real profit and lasting success. Celeste is a professional business growth specialist, a master sales strategist, and dynamic speaker with more than 40 years experience in direct sales and managing high-performing teams.

To learn more about Celeste, click here.

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