It is no secret that Russell Westbrook is on a ridiculous NBA onslaught. Presently having an unbelievable MVP caliber season, Westbrook is on his way to becoming the first person to average a triple double in a season since the Big O accomplished the feat over 50 years ago. While his talent and explosiveness has been on display since entering the league, Russell Westbrook is cementing his legacy as one of the greatest to ever play the game. Now in his 9th season, a true veteran, Russell has reached a point where he is in the zone. He is pushing to become the best version of himself and winning as many games as he willfully can. His admirable pursuit can be used to inspire marketers and sales people across the world. Let’s take a second to examine what we can learn from his greatness.
Leadership Through Versatility
On March 29th Westbrook had a remarkable 57 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists against the Orlando Magic. One could make the case that he is the most versatile player in the game. He scores, rebounds, assists, and plays ferocious defense. What this means is that he is able to contribute to his team in a multitude of ways. Even when he is having an off night scoring wise he is still able to create value. So can we. Are you tenacious about hitting your goals for the month, or are you just going through the motions? Meanwhile, how is your relationship with your colleagues – are you sharing best practices through your experiences and helping them be successful? Are you able to work cross functionally? Providing value to your organization in more than one way is a sign not only of a great teammate, but it demonstrates real leadership. Leaders are the ones who move up within companies.
Be 100% Committed To The Cause
In his pursuit to aid Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, it’s no secret that Kevin Durant left Oklahoma City and Westbrook’s side on terms that were not the best. The season before Durant’s exit, OKC was just one win away from beating Golden State and heading to the NBA Finals. After surrendering a 3-1 Western Conference lead to Curry and co., the city of Oklahoma was devastated and Westbrook alone was left trying to pick up the pieces from the broken team. And while it was a drastic loss, he didn’t complain at all about his MVP co-pilot leaving in the midst of the turmoil. What was more interesting, to silence whispers about him potentially leaving as well, he signed an extension to remain in OKC allowing the organization time to bounce back and come up with a plan for the future. The lesson we can take away from this is obvious. To be the best in the very intense world of business development and marketing we have to be committed to our team, our stakeholders, and our personal beliefs. Always stay focused on the cause. In the face of a less talented team, Westbrook had the option to not sign the extension and begin his quest to part ways. He chose otherwise. When the chips are down we have to raise the standard, and our belief is what will get us through.
Never Become Too Impressed With Your Own Abilities. You Stop Growing.
Statistically speaking Russell has improved virtually every year. Primarily, this is attributed to his paying attention to detail, fundamental improvements, and him being a student of the game. Legendary 5-time champion and indisputably destined Hall-of-Famer, Kobe Bryant recently said [in an interview] about Westbrook:
“when Russ and I worked out this summer…we set the time… I told him the gym… 6 o’ clock… and I got to the gym at 6 o’clock, and he’s been there since 5am. He was locked in.”
Not only is this a tremendous compliment coming from one of the greatest athletes from our generation, but it’s a testament to Westbrook’s desire to be the best. As sales people, there are always areas to improve. We just have to pay attention to everything, including the small things we can do to drive success. It’s an ongoing process that we must be relentless about.
Durant departing from OKC, while a tremendous loss, could very well be the best thing to ever happen to Russell Westbrook in terms of his individual next level development. Since, Russell has become a better leader. His commitment to greatness has not wavered, but rather surged. Marvel could not have drawn this up any better. We are witnessing a player who is on an Incredible Hulk type of tear in his MVP pursuit to become the best player in the world.
The question that we all need to be asking – are we being the best version of ourselves in our pursuits?
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