Think different, win, change the game

Sporting success requires disruptive strategy, not imitation. The most successful even change the entire sport.

Take Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona: their high press, high possession style was a step-change from anything before, and yielded phenomenal results. A proliferation of imitators followed; passing rates are 50% higher than the early-2000s.

The Golden State Warriors achieved something similar in the NBA, totally reframing the value of three-point attempts. Their 73-win 2015 season averaged 32 3-point-attempts per game; this is now a low-end figure, with the league average soaring from 22 to 34.

Finally the England cricket team – which this week starts its Ashes campaign in Australia – has transformed its own fortunes as well as test cricket itself. Playing high-risk cricket, they have improved from 1 win in 17 to 25 wins in 41, and encouraged all other nations to play more positively. Test match draw rates have dropped from 16% to 9%, too.

Omar Chaudhuri
Chief Intelligence Officer 

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