How Kobe Bryant’s Legacy Motivates Me As A Sales Leader

Understanding Bryant’s Dedication to Work Ethics, Mindfulness, Competitive Nature and Curiosity will help me to become a Better Sales Leader

As a high school kid, I used to play a lot of basketball and my parents told me that there is more to life than just playing ball. My father told me to always remember that one’s aim of life should be to question yourself about what leads to a fulfilling life. He told me about the four human dimensions and referred to them by saying “we are here to achieve the Big Ls of life”. Wondering what the Big Ls of life are? You must already know about it but, perhaps, if it hasn’t caused your attention. The Big Ls of life are - to Live, Love, Learn, and Leave a Legacy.

Kobe Bryant is one personality whom I believe has managed to not just achieve but conquer the four human dimensions, or big Ls, remarkably. I am thankful to the legendary player for inspiring me to work on myself as a sales leader. Today, I want to share with you the success mantra inspired by Bryant’s legacy.

Evolution is the essence of life; if we stop evolving, we cannot become a productive member of society.

On my way to work in the past days, I read articles and watch interviews of Kobe Bryant and then reflected upon it. I asked myself this question- What really made him so exceptionally great? I mean, Bryant was good at everything he did; he wasn’t just a legendary basketball player his legacy is far greater than that.

I noticed that in his interviews he often mentioned his four core beliefs. This I would say was the turning point in understanding that his beliefs are highly motivating and can be adapted to many areas, but in my case to the sales context.

A rule I learned from most sales leaders I have worked with is that if you build the best team, get the industry’s best salespeople on board. But, none ever mentioned how do you become the best salesperson? Or, what does it take to become the best in your field?

Have you ever asked someone this question? Trust me! Hardly anyone can answer this. Koebe Bryant, however, seems to be crystal clear on what it takes.

Bryant was ready to go to any lengths to become the best version of whom he wanted to be and at the same time held himself accountable for all of his actions.

Koebe Bryant’s Four Core Principles- The Ultimate Success Mantra:

I believe that the following character traits of Bryant are inspiring and will make sure to adopt them more to become better as a sales leader.

1)  Mindfulness 

I have noticed that Bryant was always conscious of his surroundings and his actions. In many interviews, he pointed out that whenever he met a famous personality or a great player he asked them to share life lessons and how they felt to help him understand and address situations appropriately. It is indeed remarkable that Bryant always emphasized on understanding what others felt and why they felt a particular way.

In a sales context, we need to be a conscious version of ourselves and create a connection with others. Whether it is a basketball game or sales environment, we must remember that both are contact and connection-based games. One can emerge as a winner only by becoming a master at forming this connection.

2) Competitive Nature 

You might find it strange, but I believe Bryant loved his competitive nature. He loved to talk about his passion in life and stressed upon honestly identifying and prioritizing your true passions. Bryant stated that once you start feeling passionate about your work, it becomes a lot less burdensome, just like it felt on the first day of your job.

Do you remember your first day in a sales role? You felt excited and wanted to deliver the very best. However, over time, many sales reps realize that becoming a top salesman is a long and tedious journey. Hence, they lower the bar for themselves.

Bryant’s approach is completely the opposite. He believed that we can turn up for work with a fresh approach every day if only we love to stay competitive. Whether your passion is to become an exceptional athlete or a star salesperson, you need to develop competitiveness. Don’t lower the bar - love to compete and if you fail, strive to bounce back strongly. Persistence is the key to success and to remain persistent you should follow your passion. I believe that’s what Bryant meant when he said:

“No matter how hard you work - I am going to work harder than you!”

3) Curiosity 

According to Bryant, personal growth relies upon continuous learning and self-improvement, which are dependent upon curiosity. He refers to understanding your true potential and working harder to achieve it as being curious. Why does he say so?

Bryant means that you need to dig deep to find out the area that needs improvement. Such as, if your shot is too short, try to find out what’s missing. Is it due to lack of strength, conditioning, coordination or the overall physical fitness?

Once you’ve identified the root cause, work towards improvement and start training accordingly. One must always find out weak points by being honest to your self and try to improve them through hard work.

The same rule applies in a sales environment. As a Sales Leader, I have noticed over the years that sales reps who never lost a deal due to the same problem are the consistent top performers. Personal growth depends upon being curious to learn about our weaknesses and working towards improving them.

4) Dedication to Work Ethics 

People often claim that one must work smart and not hard. Bryant’s philosophy is quite different and I couldn’t agree more. He believed that working smart can get you just as far and may help become better than many. However, working smart - and - hard, can take you to the next level and make you best of all. Here’s an excerpt from Bryant’s interview:

“If your aim is to be the best basketball player you can be, you will have to practice, you have to train. You are going to want to train as much as you can, as often as you can. Getting up early and putting in the work every day to double the time. You will grow and the separation from you to your competitors and peers will become larger and larger over time.” 

The crux is that there are no shortcuts in life. We need to work hard - and - smart to stay relevant in our fields. Bryant often mentioned that he never felt good about himself if he wasn’t working hard enough to become what he aspired for. Remarkable how great athletes are so humble and grounded when it comes to their work ethics; maybe because they know what it takes.

Ask yourself - what sort of a legacy do you want to leave behind and how you aim to achieve it? No matter what your life goals are, the only formula to achieve them is to work hard and smart. 

Final thoughts:

Kobe Bryant is much more than a legendary athlete. 

He always stressed upon aiming higher and being the best through constant hard work and self-improvement. To become the best, we need to challenge ourselves to strive for it. But, only striving isn’t enough, we need to hold ourselves accountable and learn to value the honesty to ourselves every step of the way.

He was an exceptional individual who gave us many life-changing lessons that are applicable to every spectrum of life, not just sports. He is remembered as a legendary basketball player because he gave his 100% to the game while believing every single day that he is yet to reach his true potential.

I thank Kobe Bryant for leaving a legacy that inspires me to become productive, progressive and successful.