Kobe Bryant was one of the best NBA players to have ever played the game and we lost him on Sunday, January 26th in a helicopter crash that stunned the world. I always enjoyed watching him play but started to pay more attention to him as a person after reading a book called Relentless by Tim Grover.  Tim trained Kobe throughout his career along with Michael Jordan, Dwyane Wade and many others. Here are two things that I love about Kobe’s approach to life and his sport that may inspire you personally, your kids, or even your business.

1. When Kobe was a young player there were times when he would have to sit the bench. His family and friends would be in his ear telling him that it was unfair and that the coach didn’t know what he was doing. Kobe would say to them, “This is on me. If the coach isn’t playing me then I have to work and get so much better that it’s impossible for him to ignore the fact that I should be on the court.” For all of us with kids playing sports, this is some very valuable advice to pass along. For those of us complaining about business being slow, or profits being down, make the choice for your product or store so incredibly obvious that your customers would look dumb buying somewhere else.
2. Kobe said in an interview that he was blessed with athletic talent but he wanted to be remembered as an athlete that  worked as if he had none. In other words, do what it takes.

For Kobe, it wasn’t just about the outcome it was about the process. He knew that it took sacrifice to be the kind of player he wanted to be so he paid the price and ended up with 5 rings and a long list of other awards and titles. He owned his result and understood that his success or failure was totally up to him; a great reminder to us all.

RIP #26 #blackmamba