You don’t have to be a basketball fan to appreciate the beauty of the NBA basketball championships that ended Tuesday evening. First class athletes on both teams, playing the game at an almost unimaginable skill level was really human poetry in motion.
As fans from both sides either celebrate (provided you’re a Warrior fan) or lick their wounds (if you’re a Cavalier fan) there are also seeds2lead that these players have given to us.
Kevin Durant, formally of the Oklahoma Thunder, came to the Warriors at the start of the season. The Warriors already had their own cast of superstars and a reputation of paying very well together.
It wasn’t clear how Durant would work himself into this closely knit team. But here’s what he said, as reported by Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated:
“I had to be vulnerable and open up to them”, Durant said.
Imagine that, superstar Kevin Durant talking about vulnerability. In some leadership circles, vulnerability is seen as a sign of weakness, not being in control or not having all the answers all the time. But Durant touched on something that’s essential for leaders. If leaders aren’t willing to express their vulnerability and grow personally, they can’t grow their business.
Leaders that can express their own vulnerability, have the fortitude to fail (and own up to it) and ask others to help them improve write an executive source code that encourages those around them to do the same. The ripple effect becomes a breeding ground for growth and higher performance for those involved.
Perhaps it is Durant’s vulnerability or the Warriors selfless team culture (we before me) that was the edge in this year’s NBA championship series. This will be the subject of basketball debate for weeks to come. In any case, the Golden State Warriors have won the NBA Championship two out of the last three years and we would be remiss not to look closely at how they prepare and play their game.
Kevin Durant was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for his performance in this year’s championship series.
What’s the level and quality of vulnerability in your leadership team?
Set the example and help yourself and others become the most valuable players in your next championship.
To take your own seeds2lead from Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors, go to Lee Jenkins’s recent article.
To learn more about Kevin Durant and what’s important to him, outside of winning NBA Championships with the Golden State Warriors, go here.