Everyone has an opinion about millennials. I actually have a very favorable opinion of this up-and-coming generation. However, I do have a strong piece of advice for them as they enter the real world.
In Jonathan Adams’s incredible book Boys Among Men, he chronicles the story of ever player who jumped straight from high school to the NBA. Some were successful. Some failed miserably. It is a fascinating read about what it takes to become successful in a highly competitive environment. His findings have strong implications for every young leader entering a world of experienced professionals.
Notice the common thread of these quotes from the book:
- “He (Kobe Bryant) often called on Rob Schwartz, a scrappy benchwarmer, to shoot with him at 5 a.m. (while still in high school).”
- “The transition (to the NBA) was tougher than anyone ever told them it would be. They encountered men on the court who fought to feed their families. In high school, they had never played against someone at that level. In the NBA, everyone was better than they were.”
- “He worked hard and never doubted himself.” – Lakers head coach on rookie Bryant
- “His (Kevin Garnett) potential had blossomed into productivity… He was a marvelously gifted athlete who practiced mercilessly to better himself.”
- “The problem that I had with Tracy (McGrady) was his work habits… I was on him because I saw so much in him, but also saw that if he didn’t put in the work, he had a chance to be out of the league.” – Raptors head coach Darrell Walker
- “They had two feet in the adult world with no clue as to what it meant to be a man and to truly dedicate themselves to developing their talents.”
- “Bryant had the work ethic and the tools. He also knew Bryant was an outlier.”
- “(Al) Harrington believed it. He trained. He worked.”
- “You’re coming in here like a regular job. Respect the job. If everybody else is on time, why should you be late?” – Gary Payton to Rashard Lewis
- “When practice starts, we’re there an hour ahead of time. When practice starts, we’ve already been sweating and ready to go… If someone’s going to be paying you to do this and you want to do it for a long time, hard work is not an option.” – Antonio Davis
- “They ain’t going to push me (Dirk Nowitzki) around next year. I’m going to spend time in the weight room. I’m going to get after it.”
- “(Kwame) Brown loved to play basketball, but he did not seem to enjoy working out.”
- “The bench. After the game (Coach Butch) Carter told McGrady that this would be the result whenever he put so little effort into practicing.”
- “(Darius) Miles declined to invest in his game over the summer through training.”
- “Eddy (Curry) could have been the best big man of our generation. He had all the tools. It was just the circumstances that led him to not pan out to what myself and other had expected of him. But I always thought he had the ability. It was all about work ethic.” – Tyson Chandler
- “If you really want to go to that next level, you have to work hard and put in that dedication, sacrifices.” – Amir Johnson
- “He (Tony Key) never allowed himself to know what it was like to push himself – to gain a second wind, to dig deeper and reach another level. Complacency set in and the problems began.”
- “The only thing I had was the wisdom to listen to people, to make good decisions, and then the discipline to put the work in.” – Otis Key to his younger brother Tony
My #1 Piece Of Advice To Millennials – If you want to be successful, you must be prepared to work hard, very hard. Respect the profession. Put the work in. Sacrifice. Be responsible. Hard work does not necessarily make you a leader. But failing to work hard undoubtedly disqualifies you from becoming a leader.
To pick up a copy of Abrams’s book, click HERE.
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