Last night I watched the Cavs come from behind to beat a determined Miami Heat team. Aside from being a homer, I can't help but admire the team that Mike Brown coaches. With well-placed newbies like Mo Williams, Delonte West, and Ben Wallace, Brown has molded the top defense in the league, and taken the heat off LeBron James on the offensive end.  They are beautiful to watch on and off the court. 

And, they invoke the admirable traits of great organizations: consultative leadership, unselfish distribution of opportunities, highly skilled workers, and a focus that great defense leads to game-winning offense. 

Great leaders don't have to be great players. Mike Brown broke into the NBA as a videotape reviewer, and learned the game from within without once dribbling the ball on the clock. He delegates appropriate decisions to his leadership team,  and he applauds their successes, while taking the heat himself for all mistakes. He coaches, he doesn't "tyell".

The team itself plays like a superstar, although arguably the best player in the NBA is their leader, and could, if he wanted, focus on himself and his own personal goals. But he doesn't. That comes from the top, and James knows that his legacy will be defined by team success, not individual accomplishments. Know any sales teams out there that could improve under that formula? 

Interesting that the Cavs are owned by Dan Gilbert, founder and Chairman of Quicken Loans, a leader in direct to consumer home financing that did not go under or need a bailout to continue operating in this harsh environment. Consider that Dan himself conducts orientation for new employees, focusing on his "ISMs" for success. Here are some examples: "Obsessed with finding a better way"; "You'll see it when you believe it"; "Numbers and money follow, they do not lead"; "We eat our own dog food"...and many others. The leader sets the tone.

Probably the most underrated contributor to the Cavs is Ben Wallace. He can't shoot, can't dribble, you hold your breath whenever he gets the ball, and an opponent's best stop is the "whack-a-Ben" defense, which puts a 40% foul-shooter on the line. But the man can play defense, alter plays with tenacious top-of-the-key doubleteams, fall back to the paint, and flap one of those long wings to apply a facial to the best drivers in the league. He has very specific skills that will not fit into every organization, but his contribution is maximized by how he is used in the Cavs' defensive schemes. You need defensive players on your team, in the right places, to keep the competition honest.

Speaking of defense, how much business is walking out your back door while you bring it in the front? We all know that acquisition pays the big bucks, but it's important to keep the clients you have, and so retention and relationship expansion are probably more critical to year-over-year profitability than new business. The mantra for any business is twofold: more business from existing customers, and more customers. So, while you hire the best salespeople you can, don't neglect the best service and support players as well. They might not get paid as much as the rainmakers, but they embody the essence of the maxim that "sales is service, and service is sales".

Apply this to your job search. Pick your prospects, and research the leadership, offense, defense, how they play. Use LinkedIn to contact current and (especially) former employees. Consider the leadership. How do they respond under pressure? Who takes the credit for success, the bullet for failure? Do they do the right thing? Do they play as a team or as individuals, and do you fit into that infrastructure? Can you see yourself taking pride in their success? 

Go Cavs!