How Kobe Bryant’s work ethic can apply to your own passions.
It is an understatement to say that Kobe Bryant was more than a pro athlete and one of the best basketball players in history.
How does one achieve the greatness that Kobe Bryant pursued and ultimately became, and apply that to his/her own passions? It’s not an easy road, but some of the steps are clearer than one might think.
He came onto the court hours before practice and stayed hours after others have left.
This is probably one of the biggest takeaways for me from his overall work ethic. The fact that he would come in hours before scheduled practice, and be the last one on that court hours after everyone left, struck something in me.
I’m not implying that coming in early and leaving later is the key to a more successful you. Burn out is real, and mental health is something that should be taken seriously in any setting; especially in a business and entrepreneurial one.
However, I am implying that there is time that we can always prioritize more productively in our daily lives. Whether that’s cutting down on some of our leisure time, or getting into the habit of a better sleeping routine that allows us to wake up earlier, more refreshed and essentially giving us more time in our day to be productive.
There’s always something we can do to better utilize our day; this goes doubly for procrastinators. Leisure time that results in guilt is something that many of us have experienced. This type of time is one that is not earned, and therefore leaves us feeling worse after the fact. By being aware of this, we can start to slowly transition that time into one that yields more success in the long run.
He called entrepreneurs to learn more about business and success.
This one is also something that resonated with me. I find that a lot of early entrepreneurs and self-starters can have strong feelings of pride — which in and of itself is a good thing. However, this trait is something of a double-edged sword in that these same entrepreneurs are too prideful to reach out to potential mentors and other veteran players in the same industry that have walked the path to success already.
By tapping into the idea that, “Hey, maybe if I show initiative and reach out to people that have been on this path before, they’ll be nice enough to share some information with me.” That’s exactly what Kobe did. He cold-called business owners of all backgrounds, trying to understand what makes a business and entrepreneur successful. This is an act of a true entrepreneur.
If we take this same mentality and apply it to our own passion, we can reach our goals faster than those who believe that they’re lone wolves and can do everything by themselves. The fact of the matter is that even in your own business and endeavor there is strength in numbers.
He made teammates stay after practice with him so he could try new techniques.
Bryant would have teammates stay after practice so that he could try out new strategies with (or against) them. This is something that anyone who wants to be a leader can truly appreciate. It’s taking initiative to the next level. What better way to improve yourself than to ask your partners to help in that process? Again, there is strength in numbers.
Collaboration is huge in the world of entrepreneurship and business in general. Another way to differentiate yourself from the competition, is to utilize your professional connections. They’re there for a reason. Politely and professionally ask them to help in any way and you’d be surprised at the number of those in your network that are willing.
This can eventually yield something greater than what you could have ever imagined and end up being a win-win situation for both you and the other collaborators. Another reason why collaboration is important for any entrepreneur.
Final Thoughts
The memory and legacy of Kobe Bryant is something that will cherished for ages. And the fact of the matter is that everyone, no matter what background or interests they may have, can take away something from his work ethic and his passion on and off the court.
There is a reason why he’s one of the greatest to have ever been on the court. And no, that reason is not good genes. His work ethic was a recipe for success from the beginning. It’s quite true when I say that he literally (figuratively) poured his heart and soul into his craft.
At the end of the day, can you say that you do the same? Or are you half-assing it to the finish line? Again, being aware of these aspects of your own work ethic are not something to be ashamed of, or to beat yourself up for. It’s the first steps in changing your game plan to one that yields not only meeting your goals, but surpassing it and becoming greater than average.
