Underdog

Not sure it is always fun to be the underdog.

The underdog gets forgotten once they lose. If they win they get called lucky. Statements like “I knew it” or “I told you so” come out in losses. Words like “surprised” and “unbelievable” get used to describe a victory. It’s a tough gig to be the underdog, not easy and certainly the more difficult path.

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) wasn’t supposed to make it very far in this year’s NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament. The Rams received a #11 seed and thought by many as not even deserving of an invitation to the tournament. The prize VCU got for getting into the tournament… one of the four “play-in games” to see how good they were. Not only did they win, they won big! They have continued to win big the past two weeks. Five straight victories and each game they have been the underdog.

VCU plays for the opportunity to go to the Championship on Saturday. HUGE!

See we forget the little guy. We play down to a perceived lesser opponent. We assume the favorite wins. We make decisions based on results, not effort. We make judgments on someone’s talent, not their heart.  We pick TEAM’s based on history or legacy not how they show up or practice. We replace luck with skill. No thanks.

It’s about time we reconsider our thinking.

Fortunately for us, VCU reminded us of what is possible. Imagine what underdogs exist in your brackets. Who is the underdog in your tournament? What are the possibilities from your underdogs? What Cinderella will show up big for you next?

Think about what is possible for your organization, amongst your clients, or within your TEAM, there may be an underdog lurking.