Every stage of life comes with a transition. Some are expected. Others arrive without warning. Careers shift, roles change, relationships evolve, and identities are redefined. The challenge is not avoiding these moments. The challenge is learning how to lead through them.
In this episode of the Payrollin’ Podcast, Alan Stein Jr. shares a powerful framework for navigating change called Next Play. It is a concept rooted in sports but deeply applicable to leadership, business, and life.
Alan’s perspective is shaped by more than fifteen years of training elite athletes and nearly a decade of advising leaders across industries. His core message is simple but demanding: excellence is built in the unseen hours, and progress comes from focusing on what is directly in front of you.
Mastering the Fundamentals Across Every Role
One of the most important ideas Alan returns to throughout the conversation is that excellence is not role specific. The same fundamentals that create success in sports apply to leadership, parenting, and business ownership.
Rather than asking how to be expert in a single area, Alan focuses on identifying the basic building blocks of excellence across all domains. Those fundamentals are practiced consistently, especially when no one is watching. This mindset removes the pressure to be perfect and replaces it with a commitment to mastery over time.
This principle aligns closely with research on high performers, which consistently shows that long term success comes from deliberate practice and consistency, not intensity alone.
The Meaning of “Next Play”
The phrase Next Play originated with legendary basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski and was popularized through his leadership philosophy. At its core, the idea is about staying present.
In sports, the concept is easy to visualize. Miss a shot, next play. Turn the ball over, next play. Make a great shot, next play. You acknowledge the moment, but you do not dwell in it.
Alan expands this idea beyond the momentary highs and lows. He applies Next Play at a macro level, using it as a framework for navigating life transitions. Graduation, career changes, divorce, parenthood, job loss, aging parents, or becoming an empty nester all require a redefinition of identity.
The question becomes simple but profound. What is my next play?
Responding to Change Instead of Resisting It
Alan explains that change falls into two categories. There is imposed change and initiated change.
Imposed change includes events outside of our control. Economic downturns, company acquisitions, regulatory shifts, layoffs, or health issues all fall into this category. These moments often feel disruptive because they remove certainty.
Initiated change, on the other hand, is driven by self awareness. It happens when leaders recognize that current behaviors are no longer producing desired outcomes and choose to adjust intentionally.
In both cases, progress depends on response. Alan emphasizes that while we cannot control events, we have full control over how we respond to them. This idea mirrors the widely referenced principle known as E plus R equals O, meaning event plus response equals outcome.
This framework was popularized in The Success Principles by Jack Canfield and remains a cornerstone of personal leadership development.
Stress Is Resistance to Reality
One of the most practical insights Alan shares relates to stress. He references a definition often attributed to Eckhart Tolle, which reframes stress as resistance to the present moment.
Stress is not caused by the situation itself. It is caused by wishing the situation were different.
An angry customer, an unexpected problem, or a difficult conversation does not automatically create stress. Stress arises when leaders resist accepting what is and focus energy on frustration rather than response.
This perspective shifts leadership from reaction to regulation. When leaders accept reality first, they create space to choose a response that moves the situation forward rather than escalating it.
Focusing on What Is Important Now
Another recurring theme in the conversation is the concept of WIN, which stands for What’s Important Now. This simple question acts as a filter during moments of chaos.
Distraction often comes from misaligned attention. Leaders may know intellectually what matters most, yet behave in ways that contradict that belief. WIN serves as a checkpoint, helping leaders realign actions with priorities in real time.
This practice is especially valuable in environments where constant communication, notifications, and interruptions compete for attention. Research continues to show that focused attention is a key driver of decision quality and leadership effectiveness.
Process Over Scoreboards
Alan acknowledges that many leaders are outcome driven, particularly those with backgrounds in sports or sales. While outcomes matter, he argues that sustained success comes from falling in love with the process.
Scoreboards fluctuate. Process does not.
By focusing on controllable inputs such as preparation, effort, communication, and consistency, leaders increase the likelihood of favorable outcomes without being emotionally tied to every result. This mindset reduces burnout and builds resilience over time.
The concept mirrors performance psychology research showing that process focused performers are more adaptable under pressure.
Applying the Next Play Mindset in Business
For leaders in payroll, HR, and professional services, transitions are constant. Regulatory changes, client demands, staffing shifts, and technology evolution require frequent recalibration.
Organizations like guHRoo operate in environments where adaptability, response, and leadership clarity directly impact client trust and long term success. The Next Play mindset supports this by encouraging leaders to focus on fundamentals, respond intentionally, and prepare proactively for future transitions.
Rather than reacting emotionally to change, teams that adopt this framework remain grounded, aligned, and forward focused.
Putting the Next Play Mindset Into Practice
Life and business are not linear. Progress is built through moments of adjustment, reflection, and recommitment.
The Next Play mindset offers leaders a way to stay present without getting stuck, to acknowledge outcomes without being defined by them, and to approach transitions with clarity instead of fear.
Change is inevitable. How leaders respond determines what comes next.
