A girls’ national volleyball championship turned into an unexpected lesson in business leadership, teamwork, resilience, focus, and managing the hidden costs of growth.
If you told me a few years back that I'd be finding business insights at a Girls' National Volleyball Championship, I would have told myself to get out more. Yet, here we are.
This summer, I spent a grueling 4-day weekend cheering on my teenage daughter's volleyball team. The experience was nothing short of a crash course in entrepreneurship, and I’d love to share my insights with you.
Dealing with Unexpected Setbacks
In business as in volleyball, you sometimes get hit in the face. Not always literally, but the message is clear: unexpected setbacks are part of the game.
Just ask the girl I saw who was hunched over a trash can, throwing up, her mother holding her hair back, dealing with a nasty concussion. In such moments, it's about support and understanding, just like how a compassionate business leader should act when a team member is going through a rough patch, or when the whole team is navigating a rough patch in the business.
Facing Tough Competition
The thrill of the game lies in the unpredictability. The teams were so evenly matched, and matches often spiraled into nerve-wracking overtime. The parallels to the world of business are uncanny.
There's always a competitor ready to outdo you, and uncertainty is a bitter pill that we all have to swallow. But it's in these moments that resilience becomes our best ally. We dig into what sets us apart as a team and as a business, and we pay attention to the other team’s weaknesses so we can make smarter decisions and come out on top.
Enduring a Tiring Marathon, Not a Sprint
You'd think watching volleyball would be relaxing, right? Try sitting through multiple games going into extra sets and tie-breakers, and you’ll feel like you've run a marathon yourself.
The business world can feel much the same. Projects drag on, negotiations stretch longer than expected, and the overnight success or quick wins you imagined when you started your business take a lot longer than promised. But that’s not how sports or business usually work. It takes time, effort, and stamina. My friends, that is not just for athletes.
Handling Disappointment and Frustration
There's nothing quite like watching your kid and her team play their hearts out, only to see their disappointment when they end up on the losing side.
In the corporate world, too, despite the caffeine-fueled nights and brilliant presentations, the coveted contract might still slip away, or the campaign we thought would change everything might fizzle out. But as the girls taught me, it's about turning these moments of defeat into fuel for the next big game, or in our case, the next business decision.
Let go of the disappointment, but keep what you learned. Figure out what can be improved next time.
The Power of Teamwork
Nothing unravels a team faster than the blame game. Some of the teams fell into this trap, crumbling under the weight of their frustration.
Sound familiar?
In business, finger-pointing gets us nowhere. If we are overcome by frustration and feel stuck, we have to come together as a team to figure out the best move forward. That does not mean ignoring accountability. It means using the mistake to improve the system instead of just finding someone to blame.
The Leader's Struggle
As a parent, seeing the girls play better than ever but not win was heart-wrenching.
Now consider the perspective of a coach, a team leader, or a business owner who witnesses their team's best performance yet, but still falls short of the target. Keeping morale high in these scenarios is a challenge. It demands patience, empathy, and a knack for the occasional inspirational pep talk.
And sometimes, it also requires the honesty to say, “That was good. Now let’s look at what still needs to get better.”
Maintaining Focus and Ignoring Distractions
Picture this: 200 courts of bouncing balls, cheering parents, and referees with piercing whistles, all in one room for four days straight.
Now replace that with a bustling office environment, employees juggling hundreds of different tasks that are all somehow “high priority,” competitors gaining momentum by launching new services, world events impacting your business, and new technology advancements that need to be researched and incorporated into your operations.
Distractions? Check.
Need for laser-sharp focus? Double-check.
In business as in volleyball, tuning out the noise and distractions is a vital skill. Keep your eye on the ball and don’t let it drop.
The Hidden Costs
Here's a fun fact: parking, food, and drinks at a 4-day tournament can cost a small fortune.
Just like those “minor” business expenses that somehow add up to a significant chunk of your budget.
The lesson here? Keep an eye on the small stuff. It adds up.
Final Thoughts
In a nutshell, the world of volleyball and the world of business are not so different after all. Both require resilience, teamwork, leadership, focus, and a keen eye on costs. Plus, both can give you quite a headache.
But in the end, aren't the lessons we learn, the bonds we form, and the growth we experience worth it?
And most importantly, keep doing what you love. Keep your love of the game always.
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