The Los Angeles Kings became champions of the National Hockey League this year, winning the Stanley Cup by beating the New York Rangers in the finals 4 games to 1. The Kings demonstrated a strong will to win. In round one of the playoffs, they were down three games to none against a very good San Jose Sharks team. They became just the fourth team in NHL history to overcome these odds by winning four in a row to advance to the second round. In that round, they faced their bitter rivals from Anaheim, the Ducks, and were victorious in a difficult series.
In the third round, the Western Conference championship, the Kings took on the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Chicago Blackhawks. This series went to seven games, and the seventh game went to sudden-death overtime, before the Kings won to advance. In the Stanley Cup final, the Kings showed their resiliency by beating the Rangers in five games. Three of those games required overtime and of those, two actually went to double overtime, including the Kings' final victory!
If we looked only at
this season, we could say that the Kings were good. However, if we look at the
recent past, we might conclude that the Kings are very good, if not great. It
was not just this year that the Kings were successful. In the previous two
seasons, the Kings won the Stanley Cup (2012) and made the Western Conference
championship round (2013). The "dynasty" word has begun to be used about
them. There is a new statistical category, called the fenwick close percentage, which basically describes scoring chances. The
Kings have led the NHL in fenwick percentage for the last three seasons,
winning it all twice and losing in the semi-finals to the eventual champion.
The Kings are building
something great, and all the pieces matter. They have only three unrestricted free
agents, so the core of the
team will be able to be kept together. The Kings are also a young team, and
seem to have skill in developing young prospects within their system. Although
they will probably not win the Stanley Cup every year, they are positioning
themselves to be successful for many years to come. The Kings are building
a legacy of success.
What can your
church or ministry learn from the Kings?
1. Get good at what
matters.
There is a reason that
teams who lead the league in fenwick close percentage have either won the Cup
or come very close to winning the Cup. The stat describes scoring chances, and
if you have more scoring chances than your opponent you will most often win the
game. The Kings have led this category for three years. They have focused on
what matters, on what gives them the best chance to win.
What is the most
important thing your church can do to be successful? If you don't know,
how can you find out? How can you center your ministry's efforts around
that one thing?
2. Build for the
long-term.
The Kings develop
prospects within their system, sign them to long-term contracts, and keep them.
This ensures a nucleus of good, skilled young players will grow together as a
team. They will learn and understand the team's system while adopting the values and culture of the club.
How are you building for
the long-term? Do you have a training system that you put people through? How could you
develop such a system? (Read more on this topic HERE.)
3. Stay consistent.
The Kings are not known
for making many moves. Their coach is about as low-key as you find. They are
consistent and methodical. They have a plan. They focus on what they must do to succeed and they stick to
that.
Does your church or ministry chase the latest fad or gimmick? Are you always looking for the "next big
thing" or are you following a plan? Does your decision making process encourage change or consistency? How can you emphasize consistency?
No comments:
Post a Comment