“I’ve been second my whole life. I was the second best player in high school. I was the second pick in the draft. I’ve been second in the MVP voting three times. I came in second in the Finals. I’m tired of being second. I’m not going to settle for that. I’m done with it.” – Kevin Durant
As a leader how do you feel about coming in second? For some, you feel like Durant. It absolutely stinks. You almost achieved your goals and came up just short. Second place feels like a missed opportunity. Dale Earnhardt went a step farther. He once famously said, “Second place is the first in a long line of losers.”
So how do you get over the hump? What needs to happen for you to take the next step? In the April 29th edition of Sports Illustrated, Durant is profiled. His approach to becoming the best player and a NBA champion is something all leaders can learn from. Here are seven things he is doing to go to the next level.
- Continually Improve – Durant said, “I used to shoot 38, 39 percent from there off the catch coming around pin-down screens. I’m up to 45, 46 percent now.”
- Help Others Improve – Durant has been focusing on making his teammates better. Hall of Fame player Bernard King recently said a championship was not in the cards because “he did not have the assets around him”. 76ers point guard Royal Ivey said, “Now he’s (Durant) helping the whole team.”
- Attention To Detail – In the NBA, performance numbers are given to coaches but rarely to players. Durant has made it a point of knowing every detail regarding his performance.
- Sacrifice – Durant said, “If I miss a lot of corner threes, that’s what I work on the next morning before practice.” Notice what Durant said. This was not during practice. This was before practice, often at 6:00 A.M.
- Delegate – You can only multiply yourself by equipping others to succeed and then trusting them to do their jobs. Head coach Scott Brooks advised Durant, “If you have a good shot and I have a good shot, I want you to take it. But if you have a good shot and I have a great shot, you have to give it to me.”
- Maximize Your Margins – During the 2011 lockout, Durant did not rest or waste time. He viewed the off time as an opportunity and worked on all expects of his game. He improved in the margin.
- Hold Others Accountable – Durant and teammate center Kendrick Perkins have a standing 2:00 A.M. phone call each day to discuss the state of the team.
Continually Improve, Help Others Improve, Pay Attention To Detail, Sacrifice, Delegate, Maximize Your Margins, and Hold Others Accountable. If you do these seven things, you may not be in second place much longer.
Some leaders are very uncomfortable coming in second. Others view it as part of the journey and process. How does coming in second make you feel?
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