What I Learned from Kyle Korver

I preface this article with the fact that I do not know Mr. Korver but I'd like to think I can learn from people regardless of knowing them.

I was sitting at a Bucks game (pre-bubble) with my husband and I noticed that one player would come into the game and stand in the corner. So eventually I said to my husband, it sure looks like this guy does one thing. He goes to the corner. My husband said yes, that is his job. The Bucks put him in when they need a “3” and he is a threat from the corner so the defense has to leave a guy on him which prevents a double team and allows the other players to be more effective. Why am I rambling about this other than to share my fascinating basketball revelations? Because to me this exemplifies the power of having an expert on your team. Although I am sure that Mr. Korver did far more than my amateur analysis, I still find it amazing that someone could be so valued for doing one thing that amazingly well. An expert brings their unique power and when you rely on them to use that power it makes the whole team better. On the flip side of the expert is the utility player. You have got to have some utility players on your team as well.   A utility player in corporate America can be a unicorn. One of those few people who you can trust to walk into any situation and make it better. To keep up the basketball analogy your triple-double players. People who can do it all. So this was my first lesson from Mr. Korver, a man I have never met, and it taught me a new way to think about how to create a high performing team. (And for all of you about to comment that it doesn’t hurt to have Giannis on your team too - yeah, I get it.).

Lesson number 2. Mr. Korver gave a speech at Creighton to the graduating class and talked about his early career. He was drafted by New Jersey but never played. They traded him to Philly for an undisclosed amount. Ultimately, he learned that he had been traded - not for another player, but for some $ and a COPY MACHINE! He challenged the graduates to know their trade value and pointed out that his 17-year career outlasted that copy machine. My takeaway is a little different though. I love the fact that he was able to put his ego aside and tell that story. He did not take that one moment of a long career (or himself) too seriously. He also didn’t let someone else set his value internally or externally. I’ll say it again, I don’t know Mr. Korver but my few and narrow glimpses into his life gave me a couple of good life and work lessons. So thank you Mr. Korver.