Leadership Lessons from the NCAA Tournament: Q&A With Former Players and Coaches

The NCAA Tournament is a master class in leadership. It’s a time where underdogs rise, pressure tests resilience, and teams either come together or fall apart. To explore what business leaders can learn from the tournament, we turned to 4 Vistage leaders with deep experience on and off the court.

• Matt Doherty, Vistage Chair and former NCAA head coach, was a member of the 1982 National Championship team at the University of North Carolina alongside Michael Jordan and later led the Tar Heels to an ACC regular season title. Today, he coaches high-performing executives in North Carolina to accelerate growth.
• Joe Galvin, Vistage Chief Research Officer, brings both analytical insight and firsthand experience as a former collegiate player at Illinois State University and professional athlete in Spain.
• Julie Heisey (pictured above) built and led highly successful women’s basketball programs — including multiple national tournament runs and championships — while developing student-athletes into leaders on and off the court. As a Vistage Chair, she now coaches high-level executives in Washington. 
• Kevin Lubbers, SVP of the South Region at Vistage and a former college head coach with decades of experience leading and developing teams.

Here, they share leadership lessons from the court that apply directly to the challenges CEOs face every day:

Q: The NCAA tournament is known for its dramatic underdog victories. What leadership lessons can CEOs learn from teams that beat the odds?

A: The tournament proves that games are won on court, not necessarily in the locker room. Great upsets happen when the leaders on the floor, not necessarily the coaches on the bench, inspire their teammates to reach levels beyond the stat sheet. The tournament is not just about upsets. It’s about teams and players stepping up and performing under pressure, with the clock ticking down and taking their best shot. – Joe Galvin

Q: The best tournament teams rely heavily on trust and chemistry. What role does trust play in building high-performing teams in business?

A: Trust is the foundation of any great team in business or athletics. Great teams succeed when people understand and embrace their roles. Trust is built through accountability. Teammates care so much about the goal and their teammates that they do not want to let anyone down. When people trust one another and recognize that together they can achieve more, great things happen. Trust grows when teammates are consistent in their roles and when they overcome adversity together. Trust and chemistry create magic! – Julie Heisey

A: Trust doesn’t just happen. It has to be built from day one and forged from adversity and challenge. It starts in preseason workouts, is built in practice, and tested in games. When it’s all on the line, and everyone depends on one another to do their part, trust is either there or it’s not. Same for business. Trust is built over time, and when adversity hits, it tests the people’s willingness to hang together and focus on doing their roles to the best of their ability, leaving nothing on the table, knowing that everyone else is doing the same. – Joe Galvin

Q: Great teams succeed because players understand and embrace their roles. How can leaders ensure everyone on their team is aligned and contributing at their highest level?

A: It is the leader’s job to communicate the vision and set clear expectations. Roles should be defined around the gifts each person brings. Several people may share similar gifts and contributions, but everyone must understand their purpose in relationin relation to the bigger goal or situation. When leaders clearly communicate the vision and the purpose of each role, they can motivate people to embrace those roles and contribute at their highest level. To perform at a high level, practice, feedback and encouragement are needed. Confidence comes from preparation. Too often, business leaders see talent but don’t always provide the preparation and support. – Julie Heisey

 A: Great coaches recognize the strengths and weaknesses of each player and, more importantly, how to blend them together to make the team the best it can be. They get everyone to buy into the system and goals. They inspire each individual to be their best and the team to realize their full potential. The NCAA tournament proves that on any given day, anything is possible if you’ve done the work, committed to the goal, and are prepared to make the sacrifice needed to win. The harder you work, individually and collectively -— the luckier you get! – Joe Galvin

Q: From your experience in basketball, what’s one leadership principle that translates directly to running a successful company?

A: As a coach, the leadership principle I value most is articulating a compelling vision and inviting others to be part of it. It all comes back to communication. When a leader clearly communicates a vision that is exciting and purposeful, people want to be part of something bigger than themselves. That shared purpose creates energy and alignment. Leaders must also clearly show how each person can utilize their gifts to contribute to the bigger goal. – Julie Heisey

Julie Heisey coaching her Seattle Pacific University women’s team in 2017 

A. The biggest lesson is that culture drives performance. You can have talented players and great strategy, but if the culture isn’t right, teams underperform. The same is true in business. When leaders build a culture of accountability, trust and shared purpose, people perform at a higher level. I often say “culture is king” because the right culture attracts great talent, retains it and allows it to thrive. – Matt Doherty

Q: In tournament basketball, teams often have to take calculated risks to win. How should business leaders think about risk when competing against larger or more established competitors?

A. You have to play your game. Often, teams get consumed with worrying about the “other side” that they forget the foundation of what got them to this point in the season. What is your advantage? Inside every challenge, there is an opportunity. You just need to understand what that is, be who you are, and execute at a high level the things you do best. – Kevin Lubbers

A. In tournament play, you have to have the mindset that you have nothing to lose against the more established programs. “The pressure is all on them.” “We are going to play loose and confident.” “We have the opportunity to shock the world.” “We are more nimble.” “Make them adjust to us.” “Turn their strengths into a weakness.” “Attack their culture.” This is where creating a clear vision that excites the team is so critical. Can you tell I am excited about the tournament? – Matt Doherty

Matt Doherty (second from right) huddling with his North Carolina teammates from the 1982 NCAA Championship team, including future NBA greats Sam Perkins (left), James Worthy (right), and a then-freshman Michael Jordan (center).  

Q. One bad game can end a season in the NCAA tournament. What does basketball teach leaders about performing when the stakes are high?

A. It takes courage to get into the arena and compete. The easiest job in the world is to be a sideline critic. Your preparation throughout the whole season is what’s on display more than anything else. You don’t “accidentally” win a championship. Those titles are forged in the unseen hours leading up to the moment that is on display for the world to see. – Kevin Lubbers

A. Basketball teaches you that pressure doesn’t create character, it reveals it. The teams that perform in big moments rely on preparation, discipline, and trust in one another. Great leaders create environments where people are ready for those moments because they’ve practiced for them every day. When the stakes are high, you don’t rise to the occasion — you fall back on your habits, systems, and culture. – Matt Doherty

Southeastern (Fla.) University men’s head coach Kevin Lubbers (left) with center Devon Ford, now a regional representative at Vistage. 

Q. If you had to give CEOs one leadership lesson from the NCAA Tournament, what would it be?

A. It takes a complete team to achieve at the highest level. You have to have great players, great teamwork and preparation, and great commitment to strategy and execution. Everyone must know and be an All-Star in their role, regardless of the public’s perception of that role. Give your teams what they need to be successful and then coach, support, and encourage their development throughout the entire year so that when the big moments come at the end, they are fully prepared and confident to execute. – Kevin Lubbers

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