3 Ways to Win Like the US Women’s Soccer Team

Soccer fan or not, everyone was captivated by the US Women’s Soccer team and celebrated when they won the World Cup on Sunday.

From taking a stand on equal pay for women to dominating their opponents on the field, there is a lot to respect and to admire about this special group of women. They overcame obstacles and 35 other international soccer teams to rise to the top and claim victory for the fourth time.

In sports, just like in business, everyone wants to win. Everyone wants to be the best.

And, managing your career is no different. You want the competitive edge. You want to achieve peak performance. You want to beat out the other candidates for that coveted promotion. You want to build a brand of excellence. You want to win awards and be recognized as the best in your field.

But how?

To be the best, we need to learn from the best.

Here are 3 Ways to Win Like the US Women’s Soccer Team:

Set a Major Goal with Mini Milestones

Winning the World Cup was the major goal and every game on the road to victory were the mini milestones. Major goals don’t happen overnight. You don’t graduate from college and become the CEO of a Fortune 500 company within a week. If sitting in the C-suite is the major goal, then mapping out the mini milestones (promotions, professional development, mentors, sponsors, etc…) is critical to your success. Figure out what steps you need to take on your road to victory.

Strengthen Your Belief & Resilience

If winning was easy, everyone would do it. What separates champions from contenders is an unwavering belief in the inevitable outcome and an unbreakable commitment to do to whatever it takes to get there. This team faced political backlash, numerous injuries, and unprecedented pressure and expectations and, yet, they never doubted, they never gave up, they never gave in, and they never lost sight of the goal. That’s the level of conviction you need to cross the finish line.

Surround Yourself with the Right Team

No one achieves success alone, but it takes the right team with the right combination of personalities, talents and intangibles to win a World Cup. It’s often described as a “Dream Team” when a seemingly disjointed group of people come together, make magic and win championships. You need a well-rounded team filled with different strengths and perspectives, and a deep bench that offers an endless reservoir of resources so you can lift each other up and raise the trophy together.

We were all winning vicariously with the US Women’s Soccer team on Sunday, but if we model their behavior and implement their strategies, we can all win in our own lives and careers. The US Women’s Soccer team is a shining example of what it means to Woman UP!