Contributed article in our business series. Enjoy! – Kimberly
The sports industry is one of the biggest industries in the world with a global market of $390 billion in 2020, and it is expecting to grow to $440 billion this year. This shows that sports are more than just teams competing for prestige and money. In fact, they are so impactful that can change many people’s lives only by following the same principles.
We can learn a lot of things from sports that we can use in our everyday lives, especially from the NBA, such as:
- Having a strong will
- Be a team player
- Networking
- Having confidence
- Overcoming mental health issues
- And being a good leader
Having leadership skills is crucial in the NBA, especially if you want to be one of the top players in the league. With that said, the NBA can teach us many things about leadership and in today’s article, we will highlight some of the things that you should absorb from this sport in order to improve your life on every level.
Lead by Example
Being a good leader is all about taking responsibilities and holding yourself accountable before you can hold someone else. This is also the difference between a manager and a leader. Leaders will ask themselves before asking others, and managers only give out orders.
If you expect players to give 100% and always be on time, you should do that yourself. That is the best way to set an example that everyone follows.
Learn from Your Mistakes
It might sound cliché, but it is the truth. Being a good leader is all about taking calculated risks, and you’ll definitely make some mistakes along the way. We often see teams making mistakes and changing their strategy in order to bounce back in the last quarter.
It is important to remember, success comes from good decisions and good decisions come from experience. But experience comes from making bad decisions and learning from them.
Put Others Needs First
Sometimes it is hard to put someone else’s needs before yours, but this is a characteristic of a great leader. The same things happen on the courts with players involved in the NBA odds. It is impossible to be a selfish leader and still manage to lead your team to victory.
After some time, the people around you will start to notice your leadership qualities and work harder towards your goal.
Be a Team Player
Even if you have all the skills in the world, it is still impossible to make something alone. Even if we put the best player from the NBA league against three other rookies, they will beat him, which shows why being a team player is very important.
You need to surround yourself with the right people that share the same passion and have the same goals. Only that way, you’ll be able to tackle problems and go over bumps on the road to success.
Confidence is Crucial
Can you imagine being a leader with absolutely no confidence? – Yea, it sounds ridiculous, but building up your confidence is harder than most people think. Confidence can be built only by believing in your skills and experience.
The same things go on the court. If you don’t believe that you’ll score a three-pointer then you probably won’t shoot as much.
Remember to set a limit on confidence. You only want that sweet spot that lets you take on calculated risks with your head up high, not being overconfident, and pushing your team towards disaster.
Relationships
Creating a good team is all about balancing passions, relationships, and behaviors. NBA taught us that if we put the best players from the league in one team, they will not work great together. That’s why being a good leader means finding the right people that are capable of working as a team.
You should also spend time and try to organize events that will help your team members bond and build deeper relationships.






