How to Lead Innovation Turnarounds

When Mark Cuban bought the Dallas Mavericks in 2000, it was a team that struggled to win consistently. In just a couple of years, the Mavs turned around. They were a team to reckon with and won the NBA championship in 2011, beating the Miami Heat that featured LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh in their prime. The marquee players for the Mavs were Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd. The success was due to how the team operated in a new ethos.

Mark was as active as an owner could be, influencing every area possible.

The players got access to the best facilities. They empanelled a large support team covering analytics, training, rest and recovery, and diet. The team traveled by private plane to road games, and they played in a better arena at home.

It was hard to miss Mark in the stands—always vocal, fighting for his team against the refs.

When your leadership is this active and committed, things change for the better. Mark also understood the game and the thin margins that could turn smiles into frowns. The way Mavs players would speak about the organization conveyed their commitment.

Driving innovation and change is no different.

If you're a leader, you have to take care of these three factors:

Lead from the front

Be active. Get your hands dirty with the team. Join them in their activities and try to get a good feel for their world.

Match technical wavelengths

Use first-principle thinking to grasp the technical areas. Just as Cuban could never play for the Mavs, you may not have the expertise. However, the team members can help develop your understanding. Nowadays, there's always ChatGPT. Build competence to a level where you can match wavelengths.

Enable the team to be successful without you

Figure out what they need to perform at a high level. It can be time, manager approvals, or access to tools. Once you provide it, get out of their way. If they call on your help, sure, by all means, step in. Just as the players won the championship for the Mavs, your team needs to play to win.

After years of owning the Mavs, Mark Cuban has recently sold his majority stake. I am curious about how they will now perform.

As a fan, I really enjoyed watching Mark's leadership. We can apply his passion to our worlds and make them better.

That's it for today.

Happy Ideating!

Hemang.