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By Guy Richards A note from us My favorite time of the year is finally here! No, not springNCAA tournament time! My close friends know Im wild about college basketball, and especially my beloved Duke Blue Devils. Theyve had a tough year but I still love em. Ive been a fan even before Coach K arrived on the scene. One of the most exciting things about the tournament is that on any given day, anything can happen. No ones team is out until the buzzer sounds. The tournament is exciting on so many levels. Not only is every game full of drama, but there are life and business lessons to be learned too. Bring a TV to the office to watch all the action and you can tell people youre studying the leadership and business lessons. In the meantime, here are 5 lessons youre sure to learn while watching this years tournament. Go Duke! The Top 5 business lessons from the college basketball tournament Business life is full of sports metaphors. But the upcoming tournament provides us with more than just great analogies. There are lessons demonstrated each of the 40 minutes that every game is played. Here are 5 big lessons every business leader can take from the tournament, even if youre not a fan: 5. You cant win without good communication. Business action is fast and furious. The best teams have constant communicate among teammates and leaders. Whether youre letting team members know theres a competitor sneaking up behind you, or that you see an opening to capitalize on, winners talk to each other all the time, are encouraging, and are truthful in their talk. 4. When youre rated high, everybodys gunning for you. In the field of 65 its all about knocking off the big guys. Every team brings its A game on to the court every single day. The lower ranked teams look for and will capitalize on every advantage you give them. So will your competition. You have to play to win every single day youre at work. 3. You gotta execute, baby! Sure, those dunks make for great highlight film. But the team that is brilliant at the basics who will win in the long run. Youve got to convert leads to sales. Youve got to deliver outstanding service. Youve got to keep expenses low. Youve got to keep your cool under pressure. Youve got to keep your eyes and ears open to capitalize on mistakes when the competition makes them. 2. Its a team effort. Every team may have one flashy star player, but the real winners dont count on their star to win the game. Winners know their roles and execute them well. Each team member knows their strengths and uses them effectively. The teammates make the plays that allow the star to shine. If the rest of the team didnt show up, the star cant shine. In business it takes every single person executing their role, putting in extra effort, and allowing the stars and everyone else to do what they do well. Every single person plays a critical role on the court and in the office. 1. Dream big and believe. You can bet those unknown teams from smaller schools like Winthrop and Wright State started the season with dreams of going to the Big Dance. They may not have voiced those dreams outside of their own locker room, but in their very big hearts, the dream was there. When your company opened its doors, the owners didnt sit around thinking of ways to barely get by. They wanted to win. They wanted to be the biggest fish in the pond. When others doubt you can do it, youve got to have faith that you can, stare down the big guys, and play with heart. So watch as many games as you can and absorb the many lessons on leadership, dedication, and passion youll witness. Make a commitment to dream big and make those dreams come true. About Abiah Abiah is an award winning brand strategy and full service marketing firm that helps mid-sized businesses uncover and leverage what makes them unique to become the recognized leader in their market segment. Find out more about them and take the Brand Alignment test at www.abiah.com or call them at 866-982-2424. To grow your brand call 609 653 2233. Abiah 2007 / www.abiah.com. All rights reserved. Youre welcome to share this article with others as long as you retain this copyright statement in its entirety. Stuff our lawyer makes us say: You are receiving this newsletter because you have a relationship with us, expressed an interest in our services, or subscribed to it through our website: http//www.abiahdesigns.com. To share it with others, simply forward a copy of this email, but please retain all of this information, especially the copyright information. If youve received this from a friend and would like to subscribe, sign up for your own copy on our site: http//www.abiahdesigns.com and you wont have to rely on your friend thinking of you the next time. To remove yourself from this list, just reply to this message with Unsubscribe in the subject line. Copyright 2007 by Abiah Designs. All rights reserved. If you share this, print it out, or reproduce it in any way, please retain this copyright statement. About Abiah Abiah is a brand strategy / full-service marketing firm whose unique, proprietary research process creates and revitalizes brands that resonate with their target markets, leads to increased brand awareness, develops strong customer loyalty and improved market share. Visit our website (http://www.abiah.com or blog http://www.brandreturn.com) to view our portfolio, read our case studies, and begin to imagine how we can help you. To grow your brand call 609 653 2233. http://www.abiah.com. Please share this article with others as long as you retain our website links and About Abiah statement in its entirety. 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