While some die-hard fans of their loved Canadian NHL Hockey teams are licking their wounds for the next months, others find some ease by following the top Canadian players skating for American teams in the Stanley Cup playoffs. According to Ottawa Senators forward Bobby Ryan "It's going to be quiet here."
While its getting very quiet this spring time in the bars, restaurants, hotels and merchandise retail locations around the seven Canadian Hockey arenas (and in the playoff ticket sales locations), the noise between the ears in leadership personnel, owners, coaches, support staff and the players might be the exact opposite.
Sub-optimal conditions like missing the NHL postseason will create uncertainty and self-doubt in our Canadian "Domain Expertise" on all levels. But it's time to have interdisciplinary and solution driven conversations. Is the current team structure supporting growth and is it leading to a bigger future, or is the team moving sideways or even downwards in terms of performances and results?
Every business performance problem is a people problem.
Is the team a cohesive group of individuals or is there a disconnect that disallows to build a compassionate team? Team leadership is not defined by the position that you hold; it's all about the behavior.
Champions will handle those sub-optimal conditions. They will possibly embrace this year's failure and use it as a catalyst for problem solving. They will find solutions and they will strive for excellence next year. They will also learn new tools; on ice and off ice.
Mental resilience is becoming more and more a trait that separates the good from the great ones. It's not enough to have only talent to achieve and maintain the highest level of performance in pro franchise sport.
Creating a personal and team legacy needs a profound and an in-depth approach. It has to happen quickly to bring back our Canadian domain expertise.
Dirk Stroda is the leading High Performance Mental Coach for National Teams and world-class athletes. He is currently contracted with 15 Canadian athletes on their way to Rio 2016.