Four Things Silicon Slopes Can Learn From The Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors have dominated as the best basketball team in the world for the past several years. Every time I watch the Warriors play I find myself rooting against them and as an avid Utah Jazz fan I’m jealous of their success. However, as I’ve reflected on the Warriors’ path to dominance I’ve recognized that the team has built a dynasty the right way and that there is so much we can learn from their success and apply to any organization. As you watch the Warriors play in the NBA Finals for the fifth straight year, here are four things Silicon Slopes (and other companies) can learn from the Warriors’ rise to dominance and how your organization can achieve similar success in your industry.
1. The Golden State Warriors Scout Well
Most teams in the NBA become great either by attracting great players in free agency (i.e. LeBron James and Chris Bosh joining the Miami Heat in 2010) or acquiring great players via trades (Celtics acquiring Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in 2007). However, the Warriors were able to construct their team’s dominate roster through the draft. History suggests that a team needs three great players to build a dynasty and by scouting effectively the Warriors acquired their three original great players without a single top-5 draft pick.
In 2009, Golden State drafted Stephen Curry with the 7th pick in the NBA draft. Steph has gone on to win two Most Valuable Player awards and is the only player to win the award unanimously. However, Curry’s future success wasn’t obvious back in 2009. In fact, coming out of high school, Curry only received three original D-l scholarship offers. He made a splash in the 2008 NCAA tournament leading Davidson College to the Elite Eight; but, the very next year, that team failed to even make it back to the year-end tournament.
In the 2011 draft, the Warriors selected Klay Thompson and Draymond Green with the 11th and 35th picks, respectively. Both players have been instrumental in the team’s success. They each have unique skill sets with Klay as an all-time great shooter and Draymond as a great rebounder and passer. In addition, Klay and Draymond are both elite defensive players.
Application to Silicon Slopes
It’s vital to recruit the right talent from the beginning. Hiring expert Rebecca Bagley, President and CEO of NorTech, shared with Forbes that “there’s nothing more crucial to the success of an organization than bringing in the right people.” Focus on bringing in and retaining the right talent.
2. The Team Brought In The Right Leader
Although the Warriors were incrementally improving after the 2014 season, there was speculation that the Team might make a coaching change by firing Mark Jackson (spoiler, they did). Curry and his teammates loved playing for Coach Jackson. At the time, when he was asked about the speculated coaching change, Steph Curry said, “I love Coach [Jackson] more than anybody, and I think for him to be in a situation where his job is under scrutiny and under question is totally unfair. And, it would definitely be a shock to me if anything like that were to happen. I’m going to voice my support for Coach.”
However, the front office and Jackson didn’t see eye-to-eye on many things. Management knew that the roster was full of young talent and that Jackson wasn’t well suited for maximizing that potential with his old school coaching philosophy. So, in the summer of 2014, management decided to make a change at the head coaching position by bringing in Steve Kerr. This was somewhat of a surprising move, as Steve Kerr did not have previous coaching experience; but, he had an entirely different philosophy than Jackson. Although the players loved playing for Coach Jackson, I think they would agree that the change was the right move for the Warriors team. With Kerr as their head coach, the team became more fluid and plays more cohesive than a group of individuals. This is exemplified by the Warriors revolutionizing the game with their “small ball” or “death lineup” and exciting ball movement.
Application to Silicon Slopes
Construct your organization with excellent leadership. This includes having both an excellent management team and an experienced board of directors. Gallup, an analytics and advisory firm who created the famous StrengthsFinders tool kit, stated that “great managers consistently engage their team to achieve outstanding performance. They create environments where employees take responsibility for their own — and their team’s — engagement and build workplaces that are engines of productivity and profitability.” In addition, a Gallup study identified that managers account for at least 70 percent of the variance in employee engagement scores across business units.
A board of directors serves as oversight of an organization and is primarily responsible for ensuring that the organization achieves its long-term goals. Make sure your board of directors has the correct vision and can make difficult decisions. Michael Butler, Chairman and CEO of Cascadia Capital said, “if your goal is to attract an outside investment or if you’re considering a sale at some point in the future, the board of directors can be critical to the process and reaching a successful outcome. As an investment banking advisor, I have witnessed firsthand how strong boards can be a great asset and source of strategic thinking for clients.”
3. They Developed A Team-First Culture
The Golden State Warriors are more concerned with the team’s success than their personal successes. Consequently, the team’s culture blossomed as the team thrives under Kerr’s leadership. This caught the attention of other players. While there have been other teams that have drafted great players such as the Oklahoma City Thunder drafting Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden they never developed the same team-first culture that the Warriors have. As a result, that team broke up before they could even start hitting their stride. The Thunder eventually traded James Harden and Kevin Durant left on his own terms (more about that in a minute).
Application to Silicon Slopes
Focus on finding talented professionals who are equally concerned with the organization’s success as with their own personal motives. Once you have the right people you need to make sure you’re helping them succeed. This entails establishing an environment that will allow your team to flourish. How? Be adaptable and allow the excellent professionals you’ve hired to have the flexibility to operate in a manner that best suits them. Steve Jobs, one of the best company founders of all time said, “It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people, so they can tell us what to do.” In addition, promote team unity within your organization and celebrate successes as a team. This will help establish a team-first culture. As employees are taken care of their loyalty to the organization will increase and, consequently, regrettable turnover will decrease.
4. Excellent Culture Can Lead To A Dynasty
During the Summer of 2016, nearly every team in the entire NBA tried to convince Kevin Durant to join their team. ESPN reported that the Oklahoma City Thunder was most likely going to retain Kevin Durant; however, the Golden State Warriors’ pitch was unlike any of the others. The team’s best players were physically present for the pitch: Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala. What really caught Durant’s attention was the camaraderie among these players. When the four Warriors walked in the room, they were joking and laughing with one another.
Prior to Kevin making his decision, Steph texted KD to convince him to join the Warriors. The two had rival shoe deals with competing companies, and Steph told Durant that he didn’t care who the face of the franchise is, who gets the most recognition, or who sells the most shoes. This attitude demonstrated what was important to the Warriors — the success of the team. Since KD’s arrival to Golden State, the Warriors have won back-to-back championships, won three of the last four championships, and are now in their fifth straight finals.
Application to Silicon Slopes
The first three steps; attracting the right talent, identifying the right leadership, and establishing a team-first culture, will allow your organization to boom with growth. As they all come together, your organization will attract even more top talent, which in turn, will make your team even more dominant. These are four steps you can follow to transform your organization into the “Golden State Warriors” of your industry.
