Leadership Lessons from LeBron James
“LeBron James vs Washington 3-30-11” by Keith Allison is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Since then, James has matured both personally and professionally, leading the Heat to four straight NBA finals, including the upcoming championship series with the San Antonio Spurs.
Like many successful corporate CEOs, James has been able to learn from his mistakes on his rise to top of the sports world. Here are some lessons in leadership from James’s high-profile career:
- Don’t try to do it all. Many entrepreneurs try to do everything themselves, limiting the growth potential of their companies. After his experience with the Cavaliers, James recognized that his own personal talent would not be enough to achieve an NBA championship and joined Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh as one part of the Heat’s “Big Three.”
- Adapt to changing circumstances. Change is a constant in business, sports and life itself. A one-dimensional approach—such as trying to score as many points as possible each game—won’t work in all situations. For James, that has meant focusing on passing, rebounding and defending, as well as putting points on the board.
- Keep learning. Although James is one of the most gifted basketball players of all time, he continually works on improving his skills, such as hitting long-range three-point shots and raising his free-throw percentage.
- Help your teammates succeed. One of James’s strengths as a leader is supporting his teammates, giving them opportunities to demonstrate their abilities while building their self-confidence on the court.
- Don’t be distracted. Throughout his career, James has been under intense scrutiny by the media, which magnifies his personal successes and failures. His opponents on the court have also sought to gain a competitive advantage by distracting him or drawing him into a confrontation. In the past few years, James has shown an increasing ability to turn down the “noise” around him and concentrate on playing the game—his way.
- Stay focused on the bottom line. James is justifiably proud of his personal achievements, including four “Most Valuable Player” awards. But throughout his rise to leadership stardom, he has been able to maintain his focus on his team’s ability to win NBA championships—the ultimate bottom line.
