Business as a Tournament: Only the Adaptable Advance

March Madness is built for chaos. Each game is single elimination—lose once, and you're out. It’s not always the best teams on paper that make it to the Final Four. It’s the ones who adjust, stay calm under pressure, and rise to the moment.

Business is no different.

I worked with a VP recently who had all the marks of a top seed—a strong team, impressive metrics, and a history of wins. But this year, things changed. Budgets were tighter, and a key initiative flopped. Morale was low.

He could’ve doubled down on what had worked before. But instead, I helped him take a breath, get perspective, and pivot. He involved his team more, reshuffled priorities, and even dropped a legacy project that no longer fit the strategy. It wasn’t glamorous. It didn’t come with fanfare. But the team started to win again—quietly at first, and then with momentum.

That’s what winning looks like in a tournament.

In March Madness, past performance doesn’t guarantee future success. Neither does brand recognition, a flashy resume, or having the loudest voice in the room. It’s about showing up, every round, ready to adapt and advance.

Too many professionals treat their careers or companies like they’re playing in a season with plenty of do-overs. But moments come and go in a world moving as fast as ours. Competitors emerge from nowhere. Disruption hits when you’re not ready.

This isn’t a league. It’s a tournament. And only the adaptable advance.

How would you prepare if you knew your next big decision, pitch, or career move was single elimination? What would you let go of—and what would you double down on?