From Gretzky to Popovich: What Sports Legends Teach Us About Business Value

Have you ever wondered why some athletes struggle to transition from player to coach? This challenge isn’t just limited to sports; it’s a critical shift that many business owners need to make to build a valuable business.

Take Wayne Gretzky, for example. Despite being arguably, the best hockey player of all time, he failed to make the playoffs in four years as the coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. Similarly, Ted Williams, the greatest hitter in baseball history, couldn’t lead his team to the playoffs in four years as a manager.

On the other hand, some of the most successful coaches never excelled or even played the sport they coached professionally. Andy Reid has won three Super Bowl titles with the Kansas City Chiefs without ever playing in the NFL. Greg Popovich, one of the best NBA coaches of all time, never played professional basketball.

Why does this matter for business owners? The transition from being the star player in your business to becoming its leader or “coach” is crucial. The Value Builder System™ analyzed more than 80,000 businesses and found that companies able to function without their owner for three months are more than three times more likely to receive a premium offer (defined as greater than 6x pre-tax profit). In other words, owners who…