The news was hot last week with buzz centered around the legendary LeBron James and his decision to leave the Miami Heat basketball franchise and rejoin the Cleveland Cavaliers. This came as a shock with most calling him a traitor while leaving others shaking their heads and wondering “what was he thinking”.
What’s your take on this very bold move? According to the USA Today, “LeBron James is regarded as the best player in the world and was the No. 1 free agent this summer. Now, he is looking out for No. 1.” My position is, our opinion does not matter. LeBron is doing LeBron. He is simply following his purpose and he knows the fundamental key to success and achieving all one sets out to achieve is to make BOLD moves.
1) Being a Trailblazer ~ LeBron has always been a trailblazer which is bold within itself. He has targeted being number one which meant he had to do different, better and greater than the average. He had to go against the grain. He had to put in time, hard work, and unwavering commitment to be called “the best”. The bold moves associated with being a trailblazer afforded him the ability to be the youngest player to receive Rookie of the Year, the youngest player to score 20,000 points, a star player to help the U.S. Olympic Basketball team win two gold medals, a star player to help lead the Miami Heat to two championship victories. Bold moves built, strengthened and solidified his reputation, his testimony and his success.
2) Sharpening the Knife ~ LeBron has challenged himself to constantly improve his skill. This has caused him to be flexible and open to new opportunities and, in 2008, led him to join the U.S. Olympic Basketball Team in Bejing, China to play with other masters of the sport to include Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, and Jason Kidd. LeBron extended his experience and agreed to work with a team of unfamiliar players, on an nontraditional team, in an unfamiliar place. His flexibility and willingness to experience something new, lead LeBron to master his skill and to further help the rest of the team to bring home the gold medal.
3) Improving the Circle ~ After playing with the basketball greats on the Olympic team, LeBron knew in order to get what he wanted, fulfill his goals, and achieve success as he has defined it, he had to be bold and change his circle. He knew to continue flying as an eagle, he had to soar with eagles. LeBron wanted, and at the root of his soul, needed to win an NBA championship. In order to do so, he had to make the bold move and leave the Cavaliers and go to a team that had the potential to win. He went to be a part of a team of eagles to include his Olympic Teammate, Dwyane Wade. By changing his circle, LeBron not only won one championship, but he brought home a second in 2013.
4) Keeping Eyes on the Prize ~ LeBron faced many distractions to include being booed during a game between the Heat and the Cavaliers. However, LeBron did not let that deter him. He blocked out the negativity and kept his eye on the prize and his head in the game. Being strong, remaining focused and staying the course allowed LeBron to achieve his ultimate goal.
Now LeBron is making another BOLD move to go back home to the Cavaliers. Many may say, now that he has what he wants, he will leave failure behind for others. However, what I see is LeBron is preparing for the next phase of his purposeful life and is setting himself up for success.
The new LeBron is looking to give back to his community, the community that helped to raise him in to being the person that he is today. He is preparing to give back. His name alone brings revenue to a city that is otherwise broken. His name creates jobs in the community. In Cleveland, he is able to serve his community by being there first hand. He is able to grab a child from his neighborhood and raise him up to potentially be the next trailblazer. LeBron is following his purpose, which is to teach and serve his community.
I applaud LeBron James for making BOLD moves, serving in his purpose, and achieving success.
