There are many parallels between sports teams and the workplace. Championship teams and high-performing organizations are built when you align leadership practices, strategy, and culture. The story of the 1980 US men’s hockey team illustrates that alignment, which led to one of the greatest upsets in sports history – known today as the “Miracle on Ice.” The following clips from the 2004 movie, “Miracle” outlines the journey of becoming a championship team.
In this scene, Coach Herb Brooks proposes a strategy and vision for the team to a group of skeptics in a board meeting:
Another part of Brook’s strategy was to recruit the right people, not the best people. Many organizations go to great lengths to attract top talent, but the best people for the position may not necessarily be the right fit for the culture:
Every culture has it’s unique challenges. In this scene, conflict and rivalry are overcome by Coach Brooks’ teachings:
Organizational development doesn’t happen over night, nor is it always pretty:
Pay attention to Jimmy Carter’s speech:
Here is Coach Brooks’ speech prior to the game against the heavily favored Soviets:
The accomplishments of the 1980 US men’s hockey team inspired our nation in a time when we needed it the most: