Commemorating Kobe Bryant - 3 Traits that Make Strong Leaders

It’s only 3 minutes left on the clock and it’s the fourth quarter. The opposing team, the Utah Jazz, has a 10 point lead. Can the LA Lakers push forward at least by 11 points and take this game? Of course! It’s Kobe Bryant’s last game in the NBA and he can make anything happen! Two free throws, one reverse lay-up, one regular lay-up, a corner shot, and a 3-point shot later, with 59.7 seconds left on the clock, and the Lakers have closed in on the Jazz just one point behind. The crowd is going wild! Next Bryant runs the court like a boss shooting the ball just inside the 3-point line at 31.7 seconds on the clock, pushing the Lakers to a one point lead. This string of potent ball plays led to the inevitable Lakers steal of the game with a 2-point win over the Jazz—in only 3 minutes! “One of the most incredible farewell performances by any athlete ever!” exclaimed the sports commentator.

EXCEEDING LIMITATIONS THROUGH DISCIPLINE

Kobe Bryant earned 60 points in that one game alone. Bryant’s final game of his career was in 2016, but even today, many still honor and celebrate the NBA player. We especially remember and commemorate the life of Kobe Bryant today—one year after the tragic accident where he, his daughter, and seven others transpired in a helicopter crash in a Los Angeles suburb, Calabasas. We were all shook and devastated. 

NBA fans continue to uphold Kobe as a champion, not only because he accomplished much beyond the norm, earning five NBA titles for the Lakers in his 20-year basketball career, but because he, like many of our leaders, heroes, and champions, repeatedly reminded us that we can push boundaries to exceed our previous limitations. Kobe, rated as one of the all-time greats of NBA basketball, said in an interview, “I would watch Magic play, I would watch Michael play. And then I would see them do these unbelievable things. And I would say, ‘Can I do that? Well, I don’t know, but let’s see.’“ 

Kobe Bryant was a phenomenal shooting guard for the Lakers for 20 years. So what made him different from other players on his team, or even other players in the NBA of his time? If you were to listen to any of Kobe’s interviews, you would realize that Kobe had a winner mindset. He committed himself to be the best in the game. Knowing his weaknesses and shortcomings, Kobe turned adversity to his advantage. He knew his legs were not equipped for an 82-game season, so he adjusted his training to make his legs stronger, to become faster; he knew his hands were not massively large, so he focused more on skill and angles to control the ball better and score more points. He trained vigorously to be more agile, to push beyond his limitations. He adopted a rigorous workout to become the athlete he wanted to be. Implementing a disciplined daily routine, he made sure he got an extra 30 minutes of sleep; he awakened and practiced at 3:30am regularly. He executed good habits that led him to superb muscle memory, endurance, agility and precision performance. Kobe’s willingness to discipline himself through rigorous training and regimen, afforded him the capacity to exceed his physical limitations, scoring 60+ points in five games of his career, taking home five NBA championships and winning gold medals for both 2008 and 2012 US Olympic games. Kobe was also known most for his ability for his vertical leaps, tough defense, and as in the case of his last game with the Utah Jazz, scoring points in a tight time crunch in the last quarter.

MENTAL MASTERY

Some may argue that what made Kobe Bryant stand out from all of the rest, was his talent, passion and obsession with the game of basketball. I cannot argue against the premise of talent, nor can I deny that Kobe definitely had a hot passion and was very much obsessed with the game. But other than these three characteristics, there may have been one other characteristic that placed Kobe above all the others. That characteristic was mental mastery.

Kobe shared in an interview with Oprah, that when Phil Jackson left the Chicago Bulls, and switched over to coaching the LA Lakers in 1999, Phil taught the entire team mindfulness meditation. Thereafter, Kobe began to meditate regularly.

Kobe once mentioned that when he failed or had shortcomings on the basketball court, he had to consciously decided to “get over himself.” This act of “getting over himself” is a method in the practice of mindfulness referred to as mental detachment, or sometimes called self-compassion. Mental detachment allows the person to detach from their egoic self and observe their thoughts without judgement or berating oneself. Seeing that he had a problem, but not allowing himself to take it personally, this act of detachment created a mental space for him to shift his mind to finding a solution, and then follow-through with training. The practice of mental detachment and self-compassion increases one’s mental resilience and agility, permitting one to solve problems quickly and accelerate towards success. Through the practice of mindfulness meditation, Kobe had mastered the power of his mind.

LEADERSHIP INSIDE/OUT

Leading the Lakers as a point guard for 18 years, Kobe maintained the status of the Lakers team as one of the most successful basketball teams of all time with his personal motto (to do the unbelievable) as his foundation for success. Point guards endure a lot of pressure; they must be able to hold their own when 2 or more players are impeding their forward movement. Point guards must be able to drive the team forward, making quick decisions on the next play, their next move, or strategy. They must build trust with their teammates to lead them with confidence towards winning.

But Kobe not only led his team to success on the court, he took responsibility to lead them off the court as well. When his teammates talked about going out on the town and drinking in between games, Kobe would discourage it, and suggest that the team members go to bed early to arise early to practice. Kobe once shared in an interview, that one night when his teammate didn’t listen, he decided to hang out and get drinks with him. The next morning at 6:30am, Kobe knocked on the teammate’s hotel door, and insisted that because he hung out with him the previous night, that the member now was obligated to hang out with him that morning to practice for the upcoming game. His teammates were charged to hold to Kobe’s standards because he demonstrated discipline, commitment and respect for the game of basketball. Because Kobe demonstrated a type of self-leadership with a winner mindset, others fell in line and respected him as the leader of the team.

SIGNATURE OF SUCCESS

Kobe Bryant is remembered by fans, friends and family today. The news feeds were populated early with stories by many, recalling the NBA icon who pushed limits, encouraged and led others, and who believed he could do the unbelievable. The stories of inspiration, motivating interviews, and heartfelt expressions for Kobe are endless. 

Few of us knew Kobe personally. Yet still, we all can learn so much just by reviewing his life and being inspired by who he was as a leader. Through a winner mindset, Kobe gave us the key ingredients to success—which I think is safe to define as reaching your full potential. Bryant turned his weaknesses into strengths, leveraging adversity to exceed mental and physical limitations, and once he mastered himself, sought to lead others with integrity and respect. And speaking of respect, he has also been noted as one of the few who demonstrated a deep respect for the game of basketball. Having said that, Kobe Bryant exceeded the expectations of an NBA basketball player. Kobe Bryant is truly a long-living iconic figure in leadership and an indelible signature of success.

LEADERSHIP INSIDE/OUT?

Kisha Freed is a poet and speaker for demographic cohorts, Millennials and Generation Z, higher education students on her speaking platform, Leadership Inside/Out?. She has been practicing mindfulness meditation for several years, and teaches it to developing authentic leaders--future generations who can establish safe and professional business environments and a sustainable economy of innovation and creativity.  Authentic leadership is what the world needs right now. To book Kisha for speaking engagements for your students, contact her at https://kishafreed.com.

Kisha Freed is the CEO of Word-Xpress, LLC, a small company that teaches expressive writing and creative self-expression to build confidence and greater self-awareness, and to engender emotional well-being. In 2019, she was recognized by the Ivy Foundation of Huntsville-Madison County (AL) for Outstanding Service in Media and Communication as a publisher, editor, TV talk show host, poet, and expressive writing workshop facilitator. In 2014, she was a speaker at TEDx Huntsville, sharing the message of the “Forgotten Superpower of Man,” through her spoken word performance and engaging speech.