Like many, I’m shocked and deeply saddened by the abrupt passing of Kobe Bryant. Kobe was an inspiration for me in many ways. His relentless work ethic always motivated me to push harder and his ability to confidently take the last shot, even when he missed, encouraged me to be bold, even if it led to failure. My favorite moment of his career may have come moments after he tore his Achilles tendon. Overcome with what must have been excruciating pain, and knowing that his career may be over, Kobe calmly and confidently steps to the line and swishes both free throws. It’s been two days since the tragedy and it still feels unreal. My favorite tribute so far highlights Kobe’s love for his girls. #RIPMamba
Books, articles, etc.
What Makes Sammy Run? by Budd Schulberg (Book)
This book is a cautionary tale about ambition and drive--and the things we're willing to do to get to where we think we need to get. Ultimately, through deception and betrayal, Sammy gets everything he wanted but is left with a shallow and somewhat empty life. I highly recommend this for all, but especially those who are ambitious.
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown (Book)
I’m trying to get into the habit of rereading books that have had an impact on me and Essentialism is a favorite. In it, McKeown argues that it’s time to focus on doing less while accomplishing more. Rereading the book prompted me to re-evaluate my priorities and find things I need to say “no” to so I can say “yes” to things of greater importance. Here's a video of Greg discussing the book:
As McKeown says: “Essentialism is not about how to get more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done…It is about making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy in order to operate at your highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential.”
Choose Happiness by Larry Lawrence (Speech)
The whole speech is great, but I particularly liked the story Lawrence tells about Deion Branch, former wide receiver of the New England Patriots, and how he prepared for the Super Bowl.
“Several years ago there was an inspiring story in a popular sports magazine about a professional football player named Deion Branch. He was a wide receiver for the New England Patriots for eleven years, and during that time he played in three Super Bowls.
The article pointed out that many professional football players go out drinking and get “hammered” in the days leading up to the Super Bowl. They find various ways to deal with the stress, and many of these ways are not praiseworthy.
But Deion Branch had a different way of preparing himself for the big game in 2005. He picked up his phone and called every coach he had ever had. He called his junior college coaches. He called his high school coaches. He even sought out the phone numbers of his Pee Wee coaches and reached out to them. He made thirteen phone calls in all.
He called these men to say thank you: “Thank you for caring about me [enough to teach me]. Thank you for making me run stairs. Thank you for believing I could do this.” He thanked his college coach for not giving up on him when his grades were bad. Deion stood only five feet nine inches tall, so he thanked his high school coach for never saying that he was too small to play football.
These phone conversations were very meaningful to his coaches, but they also invigorated Deion Branch. He felt so motivated that he played his very best, leading his team to victory. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the Super Bowl in 2005.
Observations
Earlier this month, I kicked off a series of Career Q&As with successful leaders. The goal is to provide insightful lessons and practical advice you can leverage to further your career. Here are the first three:
Dan Jimenez, Chatbooks COO (#1)
I particularly love his advice on career risk, how to think about the different decades of your life, and how he bounced back from an early career setback.
Derek Pando, Head of International and Partner Marketing at Zoom (#2)
Great insight into how to trust your instincts, seek out mentors, and be bold in sharing your career aspirations.
Eric Hass, Analytics Leader at Amazon (#3)
I love Eric’s advice on taking action without asking for permission, avoiding the law of averages, and three habits he’s developed for managing stress.
Gratitudes
I’ve found power in regularly expressing gratitude so I’ll continue the habit. I’m grateful for the alarm on my Apple watch. I love that I can wake up with a vibration rather than the harsh beeping sound of an alarm clock. It’s a small thing but makes a big impact. I also love that it doesn’t wake my wife up (I think she does too).
One more thing…
My friend Al Dea just published MBA Insider: How to Make the Most of Your MBA Experience. Al is one of the most thoughtful people I know when it comes to career advice and I highly recommend taking a look at his new book. Al was the catalyst for me writing for The Muse several years back and I’m continually impressed by how much he gives.
Thanks for reading. If you've read anything worth sharing I'd love to hear about it. And do let me know if there's anything I can do to help you.
Nathan
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