The other day I shared with you how giving the customer (or team member or business partner or investor) what they think they want isn’t how big ideas people make a splash in this world. The game-changers give those stakeholders what they know they need.

Mark Cuban – yes THE brazen billionaire entrepreneur – changed the game very much at the game.

As the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Cuban has a razor sharp vision for the fan experience at American Airlines Arena. And much to the chagrin of a internet generation (and a slew of in-game entertainment vendors whose pitches reach Cuban’s desk daily), he’s not very interested in the latest app for live replay, stats, and social sharing. As much as these types of technology are common place in our society, they’re not at all in alignment with Cuban’s primary objective……to deliver a remarkable game experience.

In his words, “We in the sports business don’t sell the game, we sell unique, emotional experiences. We are not in the business of selling basketball. We are in the business of selling fun. We are in the business of letting you escape.”

At the core of this self-made billionaire’s focus is fan experience.

Participative, yes.

Social, yes.

Live, yes.

Virtual, no.

Cuban is savvy enough to know that, while convenient features are nice, the customer’s emotional connection during the game is the real moneymaker. And, whether a temporarily disgruntled fan realizes it or not, the real experience of the game isn’t looking down at a glowing screen and foregoing the action on the court right in front of him. Cuban knew to be present in the game, fans had to actually WATCH the game and not scroll their Twitter timeline or troll a fantasy league’s status.

Cuban knew what the fans really craved – before they knew it.

Remember, it’s not the customer’s job to know what they need…that’s what the best leaders | entrepreneurs do better than the rest.

They anticipate.

They innovate.

And they deliver.

A leader, by very definition, LEADS.  When an individual leads, as a new path is being paved, said approach may often be considered “radical” or unpopular simply because it’s never been done before and it’s out of the masses’ comfort zone.

Cuban, for one, cares not what the fans think they want – at the expense of his own “approval ratings.” At the end of the day, he has the foresight to know that, if all the fans DID at the game was tap away at a little screen, they could have had the very same experience at home, sitting on the couch, and without spending $70 or even $700 on a ticket.

Have the foresight to anticipate what YOUR stakeholders need and the bravery to deliver on that innovative need.