It Begins and Ends with People

If you study great organizations long enough, you'll eventually discover a simple truth: strategies change, markets shift, technology evolves, but success still begins and ends with people. The right people accelerate growth, strengthen culture, elevate performance, and make EVERYONE around them better. The wrong people can slowly erode even the strongest organizations, departments, and/or teams.

In today's job market, one of the biggest questions leaders should be asking is not simply, “Can they do the job?” rather:

“Can they become part of who we are?”

Skills can be developed. Knowledge can be taught. Experience can be gained. Character, discipline, resilience, and commitment are much harder to build from scratch. Why do you think high level college and professional sport teams try to emulate elite special operation units…because they see and value these attributes and are trying to find an easy way there.

Organizations today are competing for talent, but the organizations that win are often the ones that recruit people who not only fit the culture but actively protect and strengthen it. This is where I believe many companies may be overlooking a tremendous opportunity.

My Perspective

I spend a lot of time around athletics. Many years ago, I was an athlete myself. Today, I have two Division I athletes in my family, which means I've had a front-row seat to the journey that college athletes experience every day.

When people think about college athletics, they often think about the games, competition, championships, or the highlight reel moments. What they don't always see are the thousands of hours that happen behind the scenes.

In many ways, these athletes spend four, and often five or more years, working for the universities they represent.

Think about what they're exposed to every single day:

• Structured schedules

• Extreme time management demands

• Accountability

• Continuous feedback

• Performance reviews

• Communication expectations

• Leadership opportunities

• Team dynamics

• Productive conflict

• Cultural standards

• Adversity

• Pressure

• High expectations

• Various components of communication

They're learning far more than how to compete. They're learning how to operate within a highly visible organization where every action impacts the team, not just them.

The Difference Between Participation and Commitment

Let me be clear. There are many exceptional graduates who never played a sport, and countless successful professionals who found leadership opportunities through other experiences.

This isn't about excluding anyone.

It's about recognizing the unique preparation that collegiate athletics often provides.

Most college students organize their schedules around classes. College athletes organize their lives around commitments.

There's a difference, which I felt 29 years ago and my kiddos feel today.

Early morning workouts. Team meetings. Travel schedules. Practice. Film study. Training sessions. Treatment. Academic requirements. Community engagement. Performance expectations. The list goes on and on…All while carrying a full academic workload.

By the time they graduate, many have already learned lessons that organizations spend years trying to teach new employees. #committed vs. #interested

They Understand Culture

Perhaps the biggest reason I believe hiring former athletes can be a competitive advantage is their understanding of culture. Athletes quickly learn that talent alone rarely wins.

Culture wins.

They understand what happens when individuals put themselves ahead of the team. They understand the value of standards. They understand that accountability is not punishment.

It's commitment.

They understand that every culture is built through daily behaviors, not words written on a wall. When they join an organization, they often recognize quickly whether the culture is strong, weak, healthy, or drifting. More importantly, they understand what it looks like to protect culture because they've lived it.

They Know How to Receive Coaching

One of the greatest challenges leaders face is finding people who are willing to be coached. As an executive coach, I can validate this firsthand. Athletes live in a constant cycle of feedback.

• Every practice includes coaching.

• Every strength session includes coaching.

• Every game includes coaching.

• Every season includes development.

The best athletes understand that feedback is not criticism. It's investment. “You care about me.”

As a result, many enter the workforce with an openness to learning that can dramatically accelerate development. Imagine hiring someone who arrives already understanding that growth requires adjustment. That's valuable in my opinion.

They Know How to Handle Pressure

Business environments are increasingly fast-paced and demanding. Let’s share a few that will arise daily…

• Deadlines matter.

• Customers matter.

• Performance matters.

• Pressure isn't going away.

Athletes spend years operating under pressure. The scoreboard doesn't care how they feel. The opponent doesn't lower expectations because they're tired. The standard remains the standard. Again, this doesn't guarantee success in business, but it often creates a level of resilience that organizations desperately need.

They Understand Their Role Matters

Every athlete dreams of being the star at some point in their journey. I remember running fast breaks at Wrightstown Elementary School on concrete court in front of 35k people making the winning shot…

Every athlete eventually learns that championships require role players.

• Some lead from the front.

• Others lead from behind.

• Some score points.

• Others create opportunities.

The lesson is incredibly powerful: individual success means very little if the team fails. Organizations thrive when employees understand this principle. Great teams are filled with people who know how to contribute, not just compete. I often use the phrase #OneTeamOneFight, which I learned in the US Army, but is super applicable here too.

The Competitive Advantage

The true advantage isn't that former athletes work harder than everyone else. The advantage is that many have already spent years developing habits that organizations value:

• Discipline

• Accountability

• Adaptability

• Coachability

• Resilience

• Communication

• Teamwork

• Leadership

I speak with leaders, managers, supervisors, and coaches weekly and they all desire these attributes from the folks they recruit and hire, but often it’s hard to find. These aren't simply traits listed on a résumé. They are behaviors practiced repeatedly over thousands of hours. #10khourRule

When organizations intentionally recruit individuals with these characteristics, they increase the likelihood of finding people who can assimilate into the culture quickly while helping preserve the culture for years to come.

Final Thoughts

As leaders, we should never stop searching for great talent, but we should also expand how we define talent. Sometimes, often the most valuable hire isn't the person with the perfect résumé. It's the person who already understands commitment.

The person who has learned how to sacrifice for something bigger than themselves.

The person who has been coached, challenged, held accountable, and expected to perform alongside others.

Because at the end of the day, organizations don't rise because of processes.

• They don't rise because of technology.

• They don't rise because of strategy alone.

• They rise because of people.

And that's why, now more than ever, it begins and ends with people.