What CEOs Can Learn From How Gregg Popovich Runs The Spurs

Like a modern-day Ford Motor Co., the American archetype that pioneered efficient assembly, the Spurs stick rigorously to their system, achieving unparalleled quality by focusing on the fundamentals of their game.

In the vein of Steve Jobs, the Apple Inc. founder and taskmaster who pressed for total commitment to product innovation, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich demands complete buy-in to the collective from the individuals on his team, disdaining highlight reel dunks in favor of unselfish ball movement.

If they were a publicly traded company, the Spurs might already have notched its place in “Good to Great,” the 2001 best-selling management book by Jim Collins.

He cited 11 “great companies” and used seven characteristics that boost a company from “good to great.” They included such characteristics as humble leaders driven to do what’s best for the company, adding talent and find the right role for them as well as promoting a culture of discipline.

The Spurs can check all those boxes. There are few star players more humble than the reserved Duncan, and few coaches who are more no-nonsense and intense than Popovich. The team actively signs players who buy into Popovich’s system of spacing and ball movement.

Terance Wolfe, a professor of clinical management and organization at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, sees the parallel with how the Spurs achieved sustained success and how businesses thrive, even though the aging Spurs roster lacks superstars of the caliber of the Heat's LeBron James or the Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant.

Wolfe cites the business performance model of “strategy, structure, people, and process.”

“Strategy is having a clear and compelling goal,” he said. “The structure is: are we organized to meet that goal? And then, do we have the right people and capabilities? And that doesn’t necessarily mean superstars.”

The Spurs have reached their second consecutive Finals without a “true superstar.” All-Star veteran guards like Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are routinely overlooked as the top players at their position, though their contributions have paid major dividends for the team, and Duncan is viewed as past his prime at age 38, yet he is still considered an elite defender and rebounder.

But the Spurs’ system has extended beyond Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili, as Popovich has actively found solid complementary players over the years like defensive specialists and long-range shooters like Bruce Bowen and Kawhi Leonard, and serviceable big men who stretch the court with outside shooting like Robert Horry and Matt Bonner, as well as hard-nosed player like Malik Rose and Boris Diaw. All the players know their roles, and all fit into Popovich’s coaching process.

“The process is kind of part of the glue. It’s the culture you create within your organization. It’s the reward system. It’s the leadership style and coaching style,” said Wolfe.

“It sounds like Popovich’s coaching style is just a good fit. It fits well for his organization, and it seems to fit well for his players.”

“So at the end of the day, you need to have people who are prepared to work as a team. You have to have the right coaching, which is the right structure piece.

“The coaching and organization need to be in place. You need to have a clear goal, and sense of purpose or mission.”

“So at the end of the day, you need to have people who are prepared to work as a team. You have to have the right coaching, which is the right structure piece.

“The coaching and organization need to be in place. You need to have a clear goal, and sense of purpose or mission.”

Read more: http://www.ibtimes.com/nba-finals-2014-spurs-operate-high-level-business-1594507#ixzz3GdFxErf1