It is well-documented how difficult it is to win back to back championships in both team and individual sports. The challenge is the same in any competitive arena, business or sport. The mistake teams and leaders make is focusing on winning another championship and not focusing on what got them that championship in the first place. They skip the steps that led to their success and focus on the outcome which is to win a championship or repeat a banner revenue year. The key to sustainable success is to focus on the process.

Going into last season internally we did not discuss repeating. We focused on each game individually. We committed to the present and not overlooking any preparation or steps along the way. In my business as a leadership consultant working with corporations as well as college and professional teams we talk about the importance of process.

Teams that have been able to sustain success understand that the process is more important than the outcome. They continue to evaluate and evolve the process to address areas that are necessary to maintain a level of consistency. In the dynamic world of sport it is important to evaluate the process every year to continue to develop and evolve.

We will not talk or focus on a 3-peat this year. We will continue to be process driven, control what we can control and not get ahead of ourselves by focusing on the outcome.