PR Leadership Lessons Learned while Watching High School Basketball

Like many parents with teenagers, I spend a great deal of my evenings and weekends at sports events. For me, the sports happen to be basketball and competitive cheer. After getting dizzy from watching my son’s varsity team run the same offense over and over to no avail, I begin to wonder what is the strategy behind this? And why aren’t they adapting to the press in real-time? (I know they can, I’ve seen them do this on numerous occasions.) Where is the disconnect? What am I missing or not seeing?

I must admit I am not an ardent basketball fan or an expert on all things basketball. What I know I’ve learned from my husband and son, watching their games and rooting for my alma mater Michigan State. However, I’ve learned enough to know when the play/strategy is limited or ineffective at a given time. I’ve learned that an effective offense requires everyone to understand the vision, goals and playbook. Everyone must align their efforts accordingly. This led me to ask “how do you support a coach/leader whose instinct and instruction is to run the same offense no matter what defensive strategy/challenge they face?”

In essence…How do we support the coach/leader who does not appear willing or perhaps capable of discerning: 1) the need to adapt, 2) when to adapt, and/or 3) how to adapt?

As a communications/PR professional this is key. Particularly when working with a leadership team or advising clients during crises, dealing with highly sensitive issues or leading internal communications.

The leader’s role is to set the strategy and help the respective team members envision and understand their role and determine the best plan of action. Organizational strategies, like basketball plays, should be discussed and practiced. My experience in both contexts leads me to believe that some leaders/coaches do not account for barriers (defenses) and thus fail to develop and communicate modifications to the strategy/play and empower the team to make adaptations while things are in motion. Some of the most successful teams, have a few options and enact the most effective offense for the defense they are seeing—this requires team members who can quickly scan the environment, assess the conditions, and determine the best plan of action—given the current circumstances. Team members must react to one another’s changes and any associated signals provided by the leader on the court—who is not the coach.

In an organizational context, the president may have a strategy, but when the plan is being executed, those taking action must make situational choices that may deviate from the action items—but still is on point in relation to accomplishing the ultimate goal of the strategy.

Leaders need to and should trust other’s expertise. Each of us will have a different perspective depending on where we are positioned on the court.  That includes the team members who are on the bench, who may not be supportive of what they are witnessing. They might think they should be put in, and are in the coach’s ear—creating doubt and causing confusion. (Don’t be that player/or professional) Ultimately, your success depends on the collective team effort and execution. Therefore, you must be able to identify opportunities and impediments and adjust quickly and decisively.

• Be confident: Keep your personal and organizational values and goals before you and make decisions based upon these two (which are hopefully aligned).
• Be willing to ask difficult questions and receive unexpected answers that warrant adapting your perspective and actions: As a PR professional, we must always ask the hard questions that aren’t readily apparent to others. Be willing to speak the truth to situations even when it is not to your advantage to do so.
• Take action to fill a void or gap:  Your greatest asset is to be a resource to others. Be willing to step out of your comfort zone to help someone else. Always be ready for the unexpected.
• Possess the ability to think through a situation while in the midst. Recognize critical moments and adjust your strategy as warranted.
• Most importantly, listen and trust your instincts and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. In my opinion, active listening is one of the most critical characteristics of a PR professional.

Regardless of the type of leader, whether in the C-Suite or on the court, these five attributes will help distinguish you and advance your organization.