There are a lot of lessons to be learned from sports teams, both in business and life. Whether you’re a sports fan or not, we can all benefit from looking to sports to see what makes the great teams great, and how we can apply things to our own groups. Rich Hollenberg joins me in this episode to dive into some of the things he’s observed and learned from his 25 years in sports broadcasting, specifically with ESPN college basketball and the Tampa Bay Rays. We explore some of the themes of sports, broadcasting, teamwork, and what really creates the chemistry necessary for teams to thrive. Rich also shares his insights about building a great team culture.

 

Key Takeaways:

[3:32] Rich has been in sportscasting for 25 years. What inspired him to go into this field?

[7:36] How did Rich get into the business of sportscasting and make a career for himself?

[13:16] It can be scary to fully commit to something without knowing for sure that it will work out, but that is necessary to reach your goals.

[17:35] Rich shares more about his work with ESPN college basketball and the Tampa Bay Rays.

[19:19] What does Rich love about the different work he does, and what does he find challenging?

[25:35] How has Rich approached providing unbiased sportscasting when covering teams he is passionate about?

[28:29] What does Rich do to build rapport and create chemistry with the other analysts he works with while covering games?

[33:57] Mike and Rich discuss the conference tournaments and the NCAA tournaments and why they’re so great.

[38:22] Mike shares why the NCAA tournament was so exciting for him to watch.

[41:27] What are some of the elements that help great teams overperform?

[46:41] Mike draws a parallel between the underdog teams of baseball and businesses.

[48:21] Communication and interpersonal relationships are some of the most essential elements of a successful team.

 

Resources:

Purchase Bring Your Whole Self to Work: How Vulnerability Unlocks Creativity, Connection, and Performance and gain access to bonus material

Mike Robbins Website

Mike Robbins Podcast

Mike Robbins on Facebook

Mike Robbins on Twitter

Mike Robbins on Instagram

We're All in This Together: Creating a Team Culture of High Performance, Trust, and Belonging, by Mike Robbins (Pre-order)

Rich Hollenberg

Rich Hollenberg on Twitter

ESPN

Fox Sports

Al Michaels

Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell

Ryan Holiday, author

John Sawatsky

 

Shareables:

 

“There is no one right way. There’s no specific recipe for success. You need to chart your own course.” — @RichOnSports

 

“Versatility is a huge strength.” — @RichOnSports

 

“Accountability and communication are two things that are essential for great leadership and team performance, especially these days.” — @RichOnSports