The Major League Baseball playoffs have begun.

The Chicago Cubs are sitting at home…AGAIN. The St. Louis Cardinals are aiming at another world championship…AGAIN. The question is, why can some teams consistently play at a championship level and others struggle to find success in those same critical conditions?

I have spent the last two years interviewing, studying, and researching the habits of Great teams and what they do best in the sports and business worlds–and I have observed long-running cultures and actions that contribute to the success that these organizations have built. One defining, championship-level quality of Great teams is that they know how to win in the fourth quarter, final inning, or those last crucial seconds before the game is over.

When All Else Fails

They know how – and when – to adjust their game plan

It was June 14, 1998. The Chicago Bulls trailed the Utah Jazz 86-83 with 40 seconds remaining in what was game six of the NBA Finals. The Bulls held a 3-2 series advantage.

Michael Jordan took the inbounds pass, went straight to the basket and hit a lay-up over Utah defenders, cutting the deficit to one. The Jazz took the ball down court and passed it to all-star forward Karl Malone. Dennis Rodman was guarding Malone, but Jordan slipped behind Malone and swatted the ball away for a steal.