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When the 1960 U.S. Men's Olympic basketball team gathered for its first practice, there were gripes aplenty. The foul lines were different in Olympic basketball. Rules about contact were different. And the Olympic ball had a giant seam in it.

As coach Peter Newell explained the rules, everyone was complaining, except for star guard Oscar Robertson. He picked up the strange new ball, wandered to the far end of the court, and started bouncing it, handling it in different ways, and shooting. Finally he walked back to the others. "I think I know how we can make it work," he said, and began sharing what he had discovered.

In The Three Star Leadership Letter, consultant Wally Bock says that in today's tough times, remember The Oscar Robertson Rule: You can spend time complaining - or you can look for ways to deal with the situation.

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