This year’s race for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the National Basketball Association (NBA) contains some insight and lessons for higher education administrators. The ascension and performance of the individual players were significantly enhanced by the personnel that they were surrounded by, the system that they were playing in, and the role or position that they occupied.
There are attributes of each of the players’ situations that can be gleaned and applied to management and leadership decisions at colleges and universities to avoid bureaucratic dysfunction and to help to maximize institutional capacity. Let us look at some of the contenders for this year’s NBA MVP:
There may be Leonard-type of individuals at your institution who are not flashy, but do all of the little things to make your organization succeed. What makes Leonard a superstar is that he has combined his willingness to do the little things with elite skill and athleticism, therefore making him one of the top “two-way” players in the league.
A team member in your organization who possesses great talent can go to the next level when the less glamorous things that he or she does are recognized and encouraged.
He provided an offensive spark off the bench, but the true depth of his talent was hidden. As a result, he was significantly undervalued. Thus, he was traded to the Houston Rockets for a player who was not nearly as talented. In Houston, he was a starter and immediately played the leading role on the team. He has been amongst the league leaders in points and assists over the last few seasons and is having an exceptional season this year.
The change in role and location put Harden in a position to put his true talent and ability on display. He is now able to have the ball in his hands on almost every possession where he can make plays for himself and others. This, along with Rockets management putting complementary pieces around him, has allowed the team to overachieve.
Is there someone in your organization who may be out of place in his or her current location? Does the role that they are currently in restrict their talent? Might they be better suited in another area or fulfilling tasks that are more closely aligned with their natural skill set? If so, loosen the restrictions on that individual, give him or her the ball, and let them make plays to help your institution overachieve. This may entail putting them in a different environment or just shifting the role that they occupy in the present department. The ability to be flexible is key in both scenarios.
