Why the world started believing in Cleveland (Lessons from LeBron)

Two years ago this month, LeBron James returned to his home state of Ohio to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

That same month I was visiting Ohio with my wife, to assess if the Buckeye State was a place where we wanted to write the next chapter of our lives. When I arrived, I knew/cared nothing about basketball or LeBron James. But it soon became clear that his homecoming was a big deal; almost as big a deal as the ‘chocolate-covered bacon on a stick’ that was delighting visitors at that summer’s Ohio State Fair.

Frenzied commentators were estimating that LeBron’s signing would inject $500m to post-industrial Cleveland’s economy and an infectious optimism spread as the prodigal son was granted messiah status.

Cleveland was a city that seemed to be betting its hopes and dreams squarely on the shoulders of one man.

The question was, could he deliver?

Of course, if you’re reading this in the US, you know the answer already, but do bear with me, even if you don’t give a damn about basketball, because it’s a great story with many lessons for winning in business.

If you’d told me two years ago that I’d be anxiously following live text updates of the Cav’s matches, I’d have raised a dismissive eyebrow. But that’s exactly where I’ve found myself this year. This shift, from low emotional engagement to full buy-in is the ultimate prize for any brand or organization, so how did the Cavs/LeBron hook me in and convert me (and many others around the world) into believing in them?

The short answer is that they had a story that resonated.  

The context behind the story is ‘cursed’ Cleveland’s dramatic decline - from ‘All American City’ to the ‘Mistake on the Lake’. Biting economic hardship was accompanied by half a century of sporting heartbreak, a tale laid out in ESPN’s documentary, ‘Believeland’.

The Cav’s lead character in our story, is, of course, the aforementioned Mr. James, an Akron Ohio native who starred for the team before controversially taking ‘his talents to South Beach’ and the Miami Heat, in order to ‘win championships and compete’. His quandary was one that most of us face in our careers at some point – whether to stay comfortable or to push your horizons and grow.

It was the nature of his departure in 2010, rather than the departure itself, which was to turn him into a pariah however. LeBron turned his ‘decision’ into a one hour ESPN special, where he unveiled his announcement to depart to the displeasure of those who once worshipped him. His lack of emotional intelligence resulted in disillusioned former fans burning their James vests to the glee of the cable news networks.

LeBron’s decision was the right strategic choice, and he went on to win two Championships in Florida, validating his superstar status. But his big mistake was the lack of empathy he displayed in announcing the decision to the audience who had adored him.

Four years later, when he announced his home coming, he openly admitted to his mistake, which appeased most of his former fans. His apology was backed up with his actions on the court that proved his desire to grind, work hard and take on the challenge that would ultimately bring the Cavs success.

LeBron was careful not to promise a Championship, but it was clear to all that this was the clear vision that would drive the team forward.

Like the best vision statements, it was a stretch, and the Cavs lost the Finals in 2015, well-beaten by golden-boy Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors. And it appeared to be even more ambitious when the Cavs trailed the team with the best record in NBA history, the very same Golden State Warriors, by 1-3 in the 2016 Finals.

The Cavs remained firm, amid questions of the team’s strength and rumors of the their pending break-up. Despite this, and against all odds, they fought back and won the next three games, winning the NBA Championship in the last two minutes of the seventh (and last) game.

The unlikely victory sparked scenes of jubilation in Cleveland as a million fans turned out to acclaim the team who had finally laid the Cleveland curse to bed.

Now, not many teams are able to call upon LeBron James to help them win and his story has the narrative arc of a cheesy Holywood movie - local hero turns his back on his people and becomes an outcast in his city but a superstar to the world, then returns as the prodigal son seeking redemption in his success-starved city, dragging his team to a historic last minute ‘against all odds’ victory against the favorites - but the parallels/lessons for brand/organizations are multitude.

There’s the role of strong leadership and mentorship – you need a charismatic founder/CEO/leader – if you don’t have one, find one! LeBron’s leadership helped to set the spirit/culture/heartbeat of the team during a year of managerial upheaval at his organization. (Strictly speaking, the Cavs have over-invested in one individual, but LeBron’s attitude to date has prevented this from being an issue.)

There’s also a focus on a clear vision or purpose and a compelling brand story (a provenance narrative usually helps): In true brand-centric organizations, every decision and action made supports the achievement of the vision or purpose.

Then there’s the need to stay close to your customers and be true to them, by being open and coming clean when you mess up.

Finally, there’s the role that a commitment to the community can bring. LeBron really got my buy-in when I found out that he had a partnership with the University of Akron to provide scholarships to 2,000 underprivileged students. An initiative so bold in terms of ambition that it will hopefully compel more brands to recognize the power/brand benefit of authentic Corporate Social Responsibility. 

So, to sum up, what lessons can be learnt from the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James as we seek to strengthen belief in our brands and organizations?

Invest in strong leadership, rally around a vision or purpose, develop your story, stay true to your values, know your customers and show commitment to your communities. Oh, and don’t ever give up, become the best that you can be with your craft and get out there and win. One team, working together like hell to win.

Simple stuff, so what’s stopping you from winning in 2016?

Come on, it’s the beginning of July, the 3rd Quarter just got started and the clock is ticking...

If Cleveland can overcome their curse, anything is possible!

Note: If you’ve not seen the Nike LeBron James ‘Together’ ad from 2014 (this article’s image is a scene from the ad), click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6S1JoCSVNU