What Sports Can Teach Us About Managing Labor Teams

At Traba we often quote the legendary coach Bill Walsh: “The score takes care of itself.” And for us, it’s more than just a quote—it’s a mindset. In fact, the first thing you’d see when entering Traba’s office is a copy of Walsh’s book detailing what that means. It serves as a reminder of the ownership we have over our inputs. The world will always throw unforeseen challenges at us, and while we can’t predict the future, we can prepare for it by putting in that extra mile.

Walsh operated in the world of football, and with the NFL playoffs coming up, it got us thinking about how similar all great teams are. Whether you’re leading the 49ers to another Super Bowl or facilitating the supply chain that allows the game to happen, the traits of great leaders and teams remain consistent. Here’s how.

Great leaders sweat the small stuff.

Basketball icon John Wooden once said “it’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” This is true on the basketball court and on the production floor. It’s tempting to look at the bigger picture and let small infractions slide, but the best leaders understand that success is built on a foundation of small, consistent actions.

For example,  Wooden was known for being meticulous about time. He could easily have let his players show up five minutes late to practice. After all, what difference does five minutes really make to a two hour practice, right? But even five minutes of tardiness wasn’t acceptable because he understood its cumulative impact. Those extra minutes add up to lost opportunities—shots not taken, plays not practiced. It’s those minor lapses that separate champions from also-rans.

If punctuality is crucial for a sports team to function effectively, imagine how much more critical it is to keep a production line running smoothly, even though shifts are often five times longer than a basketball practice. Unlike sports where the team can warm up on their own, a late arrival halts the entire operation. Just five minutes of downtime at the start of each shift can quickly snowball, disrupting schedules and threatening SLAs or deadlines.In production, every second counts, and great leaders know the value of addressing these “small” details before they become big problems.

Great Leaders Build Teams, Not Just Rosters

Babe Ruth said, “You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.” No matter how talented the individuals, success depends on teamwork.

Great leaders recognize this and dedicate their energy to transforming a group of individuals into one unit. They establish clear expectations of individuals and develop rigorous training protocols so that every member of their team starts out on the same foot. 

As a result, workforce consistency, or low-turnover, is key to developing an initially random group of individuals into a cohesive unit. Imagine if a football team had to onboard a completely new roster each week. The lack of continuity would be disastrous.

  Receivers would struggle to master their routes, quarterbacks wouldn’t build trust with their teammates, and the playbook would remain unused.

The same is true when operating a distribution center or manufacturing facility. Each time a new worker enters the facility they need to be brought up to speed to operate as a member of the facility’s cohesive unit.  High turnover disrupts workflow, increases training time, and prevents teams from reaching peak performance. Each time a new worker joins, they need to be trained, onboarded, and integrated into the team. 

 That’s why it’s so important to have a staffing provider that knows the consistency and past work environments of the people they send your way. Cutting down on the time it takes a person to get up to speed can make or break the formation of a winning unit. 

Great Leaders Lead From Within

Nascar illustrates this perfectly. While drivers are the sport’s stars, their success depends on a massive team of engineers, pit crew members, and operators working behind the scenes. It would be easy for a driver to think only of themselves as they stand up on the podium, but the irony of the sport is the driver who fancies themself the star of the show is unlikely to find their way to the podium. Rather, the podium is reserved for leaders like Jeff Gordon who sees himself as “just another link in the chain.” 

The same goes for operators leading a workforce. Success comes from leading by example, not by hierarchy. The “leader” who feels they are above the work of their employees will never achieve the success they feel entitled to. Rather, success follows the leaders who lead from the front. Great leaders are present in the trenches—they show up early, stay late, and step in when their team needs extra support. They step in when someone is sick and respect the integral role that everyone plays in their operation. They manage people the way they would want to be managed, and they see the results of their efforts. 

At Traba, we understand the importance of leaders who lead by example and actively support their teams. That’s why we’re committed to being a reliable partner, always ready to assist whenever you need us. That’s why we are always available. If you are working, we are working, so that we can be just another “link in the chain” of your operation.

If you’re ready to elevate your workforce and focus on the inputs that matter most, let’s connect. Together, we can help your operation run like a championship team, letting the “score take care of itself.”