2 Lessons from Caitlin Clark

The quiz was called “Rocket Math” — meant to test a group of first-graders on their basic numbers skills.

One student in particular was extremely competitive, and yet, she continuously finished second in the class.

So, she created homemade flash cards with paper plates to memorize equations and up her speed.

Her teacher grew so concerned over the young girl’s intensity that she reached out to her mother and asked if her daughter could dial it down a bit.

The student was Caitlin Clark, now one of the most-celebrated basketball players on the planet, and her competitive fire has two key lessons we all can apply:

1. Find an opponent

Whether it was the student in the math class or going against her older brother and cousins in Capture the Flag and Kick the Can, Clark always had people she was competing against and striving to be better than.

“They would just bully me around,” she told The Athletic. “I had to learn to hold my own if I wanted to play with them, and I think that also made me who I am, really.”

We often hear adages of “Just focus on yourself” and play “The Inner Scorecard,” and there are certainly instances where being blind to the competition is valuable.

But recognizing where our opponents may have a leg up on us and adapting our strategies to defeat it can also motivate us and help fuel increased performance levels.

While her quest for self-improvement may have bordered on obsessive at points, Clark has never shied away from finding a direct competitor, and has never become complacent with achievement.

2. Don’t let success change who you are

Despite her incredible feats and the widespread praise she’s received from fellow basketball players and beyond, Clark’s personality doesn’t seemed to have changed. She constantly jokes around with teammates, sends TikTok videos of herself in group chats, and brings energy every single day she takes the court.

“She’s a complete goof,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder told The Athletic. “There’s so many weird things she does.”

Clark is known to talk trash to her opponents, but her light-hearted personality and genuine charisma are apparent every day with her Iowa teammates.

When Clark’s Hawkeyes take on No. 1 South Carolina tomorrow night in the women’s Final Four, fans will likely witness impressive shot making and dazzling passes from one of the great talents to ever pass through the sport.

But we as leaders would be wise to realize at the root of Clark’s success aren't simply hours spent in the gym or some good genes.

It’s an ability to constantly challenge herself and a relentless pursuit of growth — knowing that while her skills and fandom might change, her core identity never does.