Scott Zack

Ohio State

From the court to the company

Scott Zack played forward for the Ohio State men's basketball team and wore number 34. The habits he learned there still run his work day.

Number 34

Scott attended The Ohio State University and played forward for the Buckeyes.

College basketball is a full-time job on top of school. The schedule is set by other people, the feedback is public, and the film does not lie. Those years were an early education in how to work.

Number 34 Ohio State jersey in a locker
Back of Scott Zack's number 34 Ohio State jersey
Front of Scott Zack's number 34 Buckeyes jersey
Scott Zack in his Ohio State number 34 uniform
Number 34, Ohio State
Scott Zack, number 34, on the Ohio State scoreboard
On the scoreboard
Scott Zack in an Ohio State uniform during a Big Ten game
Big Ten play
Scott Zack with the Ohio State bench during a Buckeyes win
With the Buckeyes bench

What carried over

Three habits from basketball

Preparation beats talent

Games are usually decided in practice. In business, Scott puts the same weight on the work nobody sees: reading the numbers, visiting the site, and writing the plan down before money moves.

Everyone has a position

A team of five scorers loses. Scott looks for people who know their role and play it well, and he tries to put each person where they are strongest.

You answer for your part

On a team, a missed assignment is seen by everyone. Scott expects the same accountability from the people he works with, and from himself.

Read more: Lessons From Ohio State Basketball That I Still Use in Business