Go for it! (4th and 2)
Welcome to BusinessGameTime.com
A blog linking sports and business – What is this all about? Well, I will try to find things in the world of sports that I consider worth transferring to the business context. Maybe there will be something to learn. Maybe it will be just fun to do. And hey, I’m just starting this off with this post, so I have no idea if it will even work, but I want to give it a try.
What this could look like? Just take one example – the famous 4th and 2 call from New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick – proven to be one of the best coaches around. Leading by six points only slightly above two minutes from the end of the game against the Indianapolis Colts on November 15 of this year, he decided not to go for the defensive standard strategy of punting the ball in a 4th down and 2 situation, he aggressively went for the two yards and failed, leading to a loss of the game.
Sports is like business in the way that you have clearly defined competitors and often the leaders feel safe and slow down their efforts, enabling the challenger to catch up. Earlier in the fourth quarter, Belichick’s team lead by 17 points and they saw that advantage shrink to just those six points 2:08 from the final whistle. What Belichick did was remarkable: He played it like an entrepreneur, trying to change the momentum. Most business leaders don’t do this and become passive when threatened. There’s a lot to learn from the coach. Even when your business is doing fine, think forward. Be aggressive. Be innovative.
It did not work out this time. That can always happen when you take a risk (and it was due to bad execution, not due to a bad call). But if he would have punted it, it might have gone the same way.
So when you feel your competition is scoring and getting closer to your position: Go for the fourth down!
For this blog, this is just the kickoff. And for those of you not familiar with (american) football that have no clue what I am talking about here: Don’t be afraid, there will also be cases from the world of soccer coming up…
Related posts:
Add to your favorites
Subscribe to RSS Feed
Become fan on Facebook
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
Xing
December 2nd, 2009 at 11:48
Congratulations for the blog kickoff!
well, i’m not an American football fan, but i know Touchdown… and also “Super bowl”… of course “Janet Jackson”….
December 2nd, 2009 at 14:41
Well, well Mr. Musseleck
to start a sport-business blog in Germany with American Football is somewhat “grenzwertig”. I do understand the rules but i still consider these shoulder pad equipped players major “sissies”. bottom line: if my competitors are closing in i show them the yellow card and nail the free kick right into the upper right corner! 