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Now that the Golden State Warriors Won, Let’s Talk about Teams by David Guerra

“Congratulations to the Golden State Warriors for winning the 2017 NBA Championship. Congratulations for creating the beginning of the end of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.”

 

That is most certainly one of the headlines you will be reading in the coming days. Delivering congratulations to a team then singling out one player and his team. One loss of a series of games and everyone is ready to throw in the towel for this individual, stellar NBA player. They are also ready to throw in the towel for his team. His entire team.

What does this all mean? It means that all over, LeBron James is recognized as the one individual that is the heart, soul and glue of the Cleveland Cavaliers. How can that be? How can it be that outsiders see this as the LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers instead of “The Cleveland Cavaliers”?

It is so easy for people to drive a wedge between a player and his team. The media is no help, they have all but exalted the most honorable and most high “King James” as they like to call him. Yet, what about the team? Do they call the Cavaliers something like “King James and his court”? You had better believe they do. They do so much that when the team does not do well you can almost hear the teaser commercials call it “King James and his court jesters”.

Seriously, not even James believes that nonsense or does he? While he has been quoted as saying, “There is a lot of pressure put on me, but I don’t put a lot of pressure on myself. I feel if I play my game, it will take care of itself.” However, when has he been heard saying or asking not to be called “King James”?

James is a very good player. He does what he can to distinguish himself on the basketball playing court. There is no argument there. However, what about the team. It takes a great team to end the NBA Playoffs year after year. It takes a greater team to enter the NBA finals but the greatest team for the season is the one that wins the NBA Championship.

That last paragraph NEVER mentions an individual. It mentions teams. To be great players of the game and the sport you have to be bigger that the game. This means having to be more than the sum of all your teammates. That is why the Los Angeles Lakers and the Chicago Bulls will always remain great teams (no matter the Win-Loss record). It takes a team to make great teams. When one individual is elevated to a position above his own team, then is the team truly great?

To be great team and great team members, the individuals must believe in the team and the team must believe in ALL the individuals to make the team great. From game one to game 82, the team must work together as one cohesive unit with each member of that team doing his part. Eighty-two games later, if they worked and worked with one mission and vision, they enter the play offs. They advance as a team. They move forward building their legacy by being a team. One day, history will look back on that team and its legacy and with a little luck it will call that team GREAT. Then and only then will history decide which individual or individuals were great. Until then, this is still a game played by a TEAM and as a TEAM!

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#Leadership In The News – March 9, 2017

Lately in my world, there has been plenty of talk about change. Change comes in all shapes and sizes and forms; commercial and personal. Change will continue. It will continue for a long time to come. Enough of what you already know, let’s get to the meat and bones.

I found this article on the USA Today website, “A Financial Adviser’s Top 10 Investment Lessons Learned” and it is loaded with great advice.

The article’s content, while focusing on Finance, with a few minor tweaks can be applied to everyday life.

#1 Don’t Follow The Herd:
Be unique, be yourself. Just do your think and don’t worry about others.

#2 The best investment may be the one you don’t make:
Sometimes the best thing to do is to do nothing.

#3 Invest in your own human capital:
Invest in your own education. Invest in yourself (only of it makes you better)

#4 Avoid large holdings of your company stock:
If only you know what you are worth then it is safe to say you are worth nothing to anyone else. Spread the wealth.

#5 Don’t try to time the market:
There will NEVER be a perfect time. Pick the moment and dive right in. Win or lose

#6 Avoid the noise:
While mob mentality may be all the rage (well according to the news) it is not the way to get things done. If you find yourself in a place where everyone thinks alike then you are in the wrong place.

#7 Equities are for growth, and bonds help you sleep at night:
No matter what you do to pay your bills, be sure to pay yourself for the future.

#8 Implement a disciplined investment strategy and stick with it:
Habits are hard to make but once made they are easy to keep.

#9 Control your behavior:
Attitude, Self-respect, and Discipline are key to success. This applies to everything you do or plan to do.

#10 Time is your best friend:
Think long term, look at the big picture, and be in it for the long haul. The longer you do something, invest in something, and believe in something the better off you will be.

As you can see, with a minor tweak or two these 10 pieces of financial advice can be applied to just about anything in life. Try all ten for yourself and see what happens.

 

Title: A Financial Adviser’s Top 10 Investment Lessons Learned
Link: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2017/03/05/financial-advisers-top-10-investment-lessons-learned/98614800/

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What did you think of this #Leadership In The News post? Let me know by email [email protected] on on Twitter @daveguerra

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The Leadership Minute #82 – Give Up Excuses (Current Events Edition)

Welcome to the Leadership Minute #82 and it is the Current Events edition of things to Give Up To Be a Successful Leader. Today I am continuing my talk about Giving up Excuses.

When I first started writing the notes to this video I had a little trouble finding a real world current event that I could use then it happened.

At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio at the 400 Meter Hurdle quarterfinals US athlete and the youngest to ever qualify for this Olympic event, Sydney McLaughlin, a 17-year-old high school senior was interviewed after the race that put her into the finals and that’s when it happened. While she did not finish in the top three to automatically move her into the semifinals her time had to beat the rest of the remaining athletes to fill in the other spots in the semis. Her youth, inexperience, and overly ambitious reporter got the better of her. She started with the excuses as to why she did not finish in the top three.

“It’s hard coming to a place like this, so many people, so much expectations, the rain, the change in weather, I’m sick – I have a cold. It’s a lot to take in, a lot to process, and a lot to deal with at the same time.”

Having a daughter just a less than a year younger than McLaughlin who also happens to participate in her high school track and field saw all the excuses right off the bat.

One you are not there to see the crowd. The only expectations are your own and as world class athlete you know that by now. The ringer was that she had a cold. Like I said she is 17 years old and her inexperience dealing with the media came shining through. Here was a great opportunity to be a role model for her peers and those future Olympians but instead gave the opposite.

She gave what kids her age give. Again, I am not blaming her but it does show the inexperience. It does show that people will blame others and make excuses to their advantage or they think it is to their advantage. Ultimately, it is just fronts, it’s a barrier and that’s not good leadership.

Thank you,
David Guerra