Management Lessons from The Super Bowl

By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter

The Super Bowl in the US was a perfect culmination to playoff games that came down to the wire for the last seven games. I could talk about the preparation both teams engaged in that kept the game close. But it seemed like there were two subtle lessons that I think it is important to call attention to.

When you are in critical situations, your weaknesses will be exposed.

The Cincinnati Bengals played a great game. They emerged from halftime and immediately went on the attack and took the lead quickly on a touchdown pass that involved a questionable non-call from a referee. They got the ball again after an interception and kicked a field goal to take a 7 point lead. The Los Angeles Rams seemed like they were in disarray.

Then the tide turned.

The Bengals were thought to have a weak offensive line, and the Rams unveiled a defensive scheme that resulted in 6 sacks in the second half of the game.

In addition, on the defensive side, Cincinnati had a terrific defensive by their defensive cornerbacks were average to poor. It came back to haunt them, particularly in the winning drive of the game that lasted 15 plays where they attacked the corners, put pressure on the defensive and eventually scored the winning touchdown…