WNBA FINALS NOT SO MUCH OF A 'SHOCK'

SPORTS HEADLINE-DETROIT AND SAN ANTONIO OPEN WNBA FINALS WEDNESDAY NIGHT
For the third straight season and fourth overall appearance, the Detroit Shock will represent the Eastern Conference in the WNBA Finals versus the San Antonio Silver Stars. This ties the record of the Houston Comets (1997-2000) for WNBA championship series appearances.

Winning is nothing unique to the Head Coach of the Shock, former Detroit Pistons "Bad Boy" Bill Laimbeer. He was the center and lead villain of the Detroit Pistons teams of the 1980's that made 3 NBA Finals appearances and won 2 NBA championships during that era.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT-
I recently had someone say to me, "you are an average of the people you associate with." I found that to be a fascinating statement once I really thought about it. If that is true, who do you want to associate with? Do you want to be around winners? Do you want to be around positive people who are doing the right things every day to improve themselves and the lives of those around them? It's always a great thing to step back and see those who you allow to consciously and unconsciously influence you and determine if they are indeed the positive force you need to help get you to the next level.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT-
Sports and business have so many parallels. In order to have success you need leadership, an solid plan and proper execution. In order to have sustained success you also have to have strong leadership, an excellent plan and near flawless execution. How do you find those strong leaders, those who can execute the plan and lead their troops to execute it to it's maximum potential? Is it always the case that the best players automatically become the best coaches? Not at all, so why would that ring true in business. There are endless stories of top producing sales people who flamed out or outright failed as managers. Take the time to examine the intangible someone brings to a position, look beyond the resume and achievements to determine who is going to be your best coach to lead your team to victory.

PERSONAL FINANCES-
There are very few strategies for sustained financial success. Why, you may ask? Well, because the ones that exist already work pretty well! Some of the most basic strategies, budgeting, saving, investing wisely, taking moderate but calculated risks, are strategies that will almost unfailingly keep you in the game, if not ahead of the game financially. When you either don't follow or try to reinvent these existing strategies you are playing in a game that's much tougher to win.

GAME PLAN-
A team that wins consistently over a period of time is called a dynasty. Dynasties are rare in today's sports world because of the impatient nature of society. It takes time to develop a solid team with the right mix of players, it's vital to have the right person leading the team and crafting the message, there is a certain level of 'buying into the system' that has to take place with every player to execute the strategy, however basic it might seem. Life is full of peaks and valleys but the hallmarks of sustained excellence rarely waver across different lines of life. Determine for yourself if you want to ride the roller coaster or if you'd rather sail the calmer seas of continued success.