🎈(#19) The Athlete & The CEO

Read Time: 3 Minutes

Message from the author:

Just returned back to Australia after traveling for work. Time difference caught me off guard a little but working back into routine this week.

In this issue - I wanted to continue to share my thought on the link between business and sport by reviewing some of the high performing individuals I personally enjoy looking at and studying.

Once you dig beneath the surface - you start to find the gems and the makings of high performing people.

It takes effort to become great.

It takes time, dedication, discipline and consistency.

It takes passion, courage and a desire to go beyond what is considered normal.

This is what separates those that are achieving goals and dreams from those that are not.

As busy humans we can get caught up in the rat race of life. Sometimes it can feel like we are in the ocean being hit by wave after wave, struggling to catch a breath.

And then there are some out here that seem to be surfing the wave with ease.

When studying certain individuals, you will start to see patterns that connect them.

Patterns that set them apart from others.

There are similarities beneath the surface, that once identified, we can adopt in our own way to start building habits and a mindset of high performing people.

Today we take a quick look at Tim Cook and LeBron James.

It's all connected

I have always linked sports and business when it comes to mindset.

For me, the lessons I had learned when competing in sports have helped me in my career.

For this review, I wanted to look at two individuals, that on the surface seemed seemed different.

One is considerably the greatest basketball player of all time, and the other is currently one of the world’s top 10 CEOs.

It's not the billionaire list that links them.

It's their commitment to achieving excellence that brings these two together.

Yes, it takes a special Individual to sit in this realm.

But the mindset and routines can be adopted by anyone.

Quick question…

How do you think your life would change if you sprinkled some of the traits of a high performer?

Who's who in the zoo

Tim Cook - CEO, Apple Inc. - Networth $1.88 billion USD

Hand-picked by Steve Jobs himself to take over as the CEO for one of the largest tech companies on earth. Tim himself is considered to be one of the highest performing and highest paid CEOs in the world right now.

LeBron James - Basketball Legend - Networth $1.05 billion USD

First overall pick in the in the 2003 NBA draft at just 18 years old, is now in the conversations with the likes of Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar just to name a few. So many achievements to name here - the fact that this man is turning 39 years old in December and still considered one of the best in the NBA right says it all.

The pursuit of excellence - key takeaways

When you look at the above overview for each individual, there is longevity at play here.

There is a thought process to not only perform at a high level, but also stay in this space for a long period of time.

You could imagine the level of pressure that these two would endure on a daily basis, both mentally and physically.

High performers tend to be in tune with that and they ensure they prepare themselves daily for what is to come.

Here are some key lessons to take away from both of these individuals.

1. Health and Wellbeing

   These two aren’t spring chickens anymore.

   Tim at 63 years old looks after his health by dedicating time to train each morning, he also looks for opportunities to be in nature as much as possible to clear his mind and thoughts.

   As an athlete training is a no brainer for LeBron. It is his recovery and focus on preparing his mind and body to be in peak condition that sets him apart. At 38 years old, his is still playing at the highest level with little to no injuries.

2. Routines

   I know I harp on about this one, but surely you can see the trend by now. Achieving your desired goal and unlocking greatness, is not left up to fate. It is planned and built over time. Both Tim and LeBron stick to routines as often as possible in order to perform their best, day in and day out.

3. Knowledge

   Forever students of the world. Absorbing knowledge and skills in the pursuit of growth and improvement. Both are known to be avid readers.

   A lot of top performers are known to spend time reading, gaining little gems or sparking thought provoking ideas.

4. Failure

   Both have the mindset to fail forward and learn from their mistakes. They both seem to have a level of confidence in the unknown with the mindset to learn from failures that may arise. Picture being on the world stage and having your failures in the public eye, for high performing people such as these two, it doesn’t stop them from trying, it is just part of the process.

5. Leadership

   Both are known to be conscious and selfless leaders by including others and building individuals within in the teams around them. Not afraid to make the tough calls or lead by example, both show the true care for the people around them and are definitely conscious of the influence they have on culture & environment within their organizations.

6. Balance

   As you could imagine, the schedule for these two gentlemen, is high paced and requires a lot of their time and energy. With this, they still ensure that quality time with family and friends is built into their routines.

7. Giving Back

   I notice that a lot of successful people at certain levels dedicate their time and money to charity’s which sit close to their heart. They say a person’s true wealth is measured by what they do in this world.

   Both Tim and LeBron are known to be philanthropists and look for ways to make a difference.

Age, time, busy, too hard….

I understand all of that for sure.

Both these two individuals also face these challenges.

Would they have their moments… 1000% percent.

But somehow, they still find a way.

As mentioned before, see if you can find ways to make some changes in the areas mentioned above and just observe what happens.

Have a great week fam!

JC