The Top 10 things I took away from watching Lebron James’ “More Than an Athlete” on ESPN+ that I’m applying to my own business

Build a champion team around yourselves and win at the game of life. 🏆

1. TRUST OVER EXPERIENCE.

Nothing is more important in crafting a team than trust, and Lebron knew this. Randy Mimms (Chief of Staff), Rich Paul (Agent), and Maverick Carter (Manager) had never worked "in the industry" before. His trust in them laid the foundation for greatness.

2. FIND A KILLER No. 2.

No champion becomes a champion without a strong #2 (and in Lebron's case, #2, #3, #4). Randy held Lebron's off-the-court team together so that Lebron could perform on-the-court. Having a strong #2 allows you to step away from the minutiae to be #1.

3. OVERLAP MINDSET, NOT SKILLSETS.

Lebron has a Champion mindset. Randy has a Champion mindset. Rich has a Champion mindset. Mav has a Champion mindset. They all want to win. Yet, their skillsets are all complimentary. You'll maximize output by overlapping mindset, not skillset.

4. HATERS FUEL THE DESIRE TO WIN.

When this group first united, the industry shunned them saying "Lebron made a huge mistake hiring his friends to manage his life. His career is over." If you don't have haters, you're probably not pushing the bounds hard enough. Use it as fuel.

5. VALUE CURIOSITY OVER INTELLECT.

Maverick constantly asked for help from some of the most successful people in business, entertainment, and sports. He was constantly learning. Constantly improving. This increased his intellect and got him in the conversations that mattered.

6. HUSTLE AND PUT IN THE WORK.

Lebron, Jordan, Kobe, Bird... all of these guys knew you have to put in the work and hustle to win. And that energy to WORK flowed throughout the LRMR (Lebron, Randy, Mav, Rich) team.

7. YOU DON'T NEED A COLLEGE DEGREE TO SUCCEED.

Rich Paul (Lebron's agent) never went to college. Yet he's one of the most successful agents in the world representing dozens of pros. Very few roles in tech require a college degree today (if any). Keep that in mind when hiring.

8. STORYTELLING IS A FUNDAMENTAL PART OF ANY JOB.

LRMR is writing Lebron’s Hero's Arch: the hero leaves home, overcomes obstacles, proves himself, grows as a leader, and gives back to his community. As you help your teammates succeed, keep in mind their own hero's journey.

9. YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO YOUR TEAMMATES TO DELIVER RESULTS.

The LRMR team works because they hold themselves individually accountable and one another accountable. It's their accountability, respect for one another, and respect for the job itself that has played a key role.

10. THERE'S LIFE AFTER THE GAME.

LRMR talks about Lebron being in the 1st quarter of his career. Yet he's played ball for 18 years! They look at his career well beyond the court: business, investments, entertainment. I remind my Operators of this regularly... it's the 1st quarter.

If you haven't seen the "More than an Athlete" mini-series and you like what I've written above, then check it out on ESPN+. I’ve always liked Lebron, Randy, Maverick Carter, and Rich Paul before, but man... I really like them now. Motivational. Inspirational. And all-around class acts. What a team.