The Kansas City Royals just won the World Series last week and I am glad they did. They demonstrated they have the stuff champions are made of. What can we learn from witnessing their ascent to the top?

1. Have a vision and mission. The team had this very clear in their minds and it showed in their focus and determination.
2. Have goals and objectives. A vision and mission starts at the top and is sharpened by clear objectives down to each team member and support staff. Everyone knew what they needed to contribute.
3. Develop belief and confidence. Believing that you can do something comes from being confident in your skills and that everyone will give their 100%. Last year the Royals lost the World Series in game 7 but they learned from that experience and knew that they had the right stuff to win this year.
4. Create team spirit. Team spirit is not an accident, you make it happen by getting to know each other and helping each other work through the difficult times that everyone goes through.
5. Be a Leader. Everyone can be a leader when the time is right to use their strengths to contribute to the situation. This might be hitting a home run to take the lead or make a cracker play to get an out. It’s about stepping up to the plate and doing what you do best to contribute to the cause.
6. Be creative and Take Risks. The Royals pushed their opponents to the limit by being aggressive in all aspects of the game and this forced errors by the other team. This was risky because it could have led to failure on their end but they continued to use this tactic throughout the playoffs.
7. Be Consistent and Determined. The royals were the most consistent team in the playoffs in all aspects of the game. They did more of the little things right. This translated into consistency fueled by a fierce determination to win.
8. Celebrate Your Victories/ Learn from Your Defeats: It’s easy in sports as each great play and win is celebrated. Take the time to celebrate both your big and small victories. Celebrate each win and take the time to discuss what went wrong and how you can do to improve the situation next time.

How does your organization measure up to these winning strategies? What can you do to be a champion organization in your field?

Perhaps assemble your team and discuss these attributes of a champion team and set one or two goals to improve your batting average and rise to the top in your field.

Stephen Goldberg