The "Giannis" Winning Mindset

Following the Milwaukee Bucks’ loss on the very first round of the NBA playoffs, their leader Giannis Antetokounmpo was asked during the post-game interview if the season was a failure. Responding to this question, Giannis provided another mini lesson. This time on resilience and reframing. A lesson which will make this journalist, any journalist actually, to think twice before he drops a similar question.

“You asked me the same question last year, I think. Do you get a promotion every year? No, right? So, every year you work is a failure? Yes or no? No…Every year you work, you work toward something — to a goal — which is to get a promotion, to be able to take care of your family, to be able to provide a house for them or take care of your parents. You work toward a goal. It’s not a failure. It’s steps to success…There’s no failure in sports. There’s good days, bad days. Some days you are able to be successful, some days you are not. Some days it is your turn, some days it’s not…That’s what sports is about. You don’t always win. Some other group is gonna win, and this year someone else is gonna win. Simple as that. We’re gonna come back next year and try to be better, try to build good habits, try to play better.”, Giannis told the journalist.

I’ve said and written before. This guy will never stop amazing me. Giannis is super strong physically buy as strong mentally. And his mini lesson is so valid in the sales world. Because selling is a tough journey full of successes and failures. Filled with days that your customers make your day and days that they break your heart. Resilience (Giannis winning mindset) is what makes you reframe what happens to you, crack the vicious cycle, reset, refocus and bounce back. You cannot allow yourself to lose your self-esteem. You gotta fight back reframing your challenges for winning your deals, winning new customers, bringing business and getting business impactful to your organization. Must do it like Giannis.

I am afraid that Shaquille O’Neal the huge former basketball player whom I have also a great respect for, he got it all wrong referring to Giannis response and stating: â€œWhen you’re a great player, and they expect you to win, and you don’t win, in my mind it is a failure”. He’s damn wrong believing that Giannis does not see that as a failure. Of course, he does. But he deals with this in a way to leave it behind quickly, reframe, reset, refocus and win next., That’s “Giannis” winning mindset.