Do you have the patience when finding your brand’s MVPs – plural of course, because talent is everywhere, you just need to understand where to look and how to champion it.
Nikola Jokic is a perfect example of somebody who people believed in. Picked no. 41 in the second round of the 2014 NBA draft, he was overlooked and undervalued by 29 other teams, and because those recruiters at the Denver Nuggets saw what he could become, today they get to stand shoulder to shoulder with him as he hoists up the NBA Finals MVP, and the championship trophy. He’s also won two back-to-back MVP trophies – robbed of a third in my opinion. Just let that sink in for a second. From nobody cares to holding company with some of the greatest names to ever play the game. That’s the reality because people believed in him.
He also broke a number of records during his finals run that household names of present and yesteryear never achieved. In Game 3 he finished with 32 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists, the first ever in the NBA Finals. He’s the first player to record over 500 points, 250 rebounds and 150 assists in a single postseason. Despite all of this, one of his greatest attributes is being humble beyond our experience of most talented professionals who yell out “you can’t guard me” then not win the game. The words “team player” are extremely important to any organisation’s success, and an NBA player from Serbia knows this above all, so any ego he has doesn’t get in the way of what his team needs.
sOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
I started thinking about the importance of belief in a person’s career and how it can shape greatness. Through Jokic’s career, he’s had people look beyond what his current talent showcased, instead projecting into the future of his potential. Yes, his talents enabled him to climb to the highest peak of his sport, but without being championed, Jokic would have been devalued, just as he was during the draft. Sometimes being the highest jumper, the fastest on the court and the most skilled doesn’t translate into success, if the mind is focused on me, instead of we. The NBA practically dismissed Nikola Jokic because he didn’t impress where tradition judges, leaving the majority without the foresight to see greatness.
There’s a lesson to be learned here for managers, business owners, coaches, whoever’s in the position to champion a person’s abilities. Investing in people is going to be your greatest asset, because you can have the vision, but the people are the ones that are going to build it. That will be your greatest legacy, the person who believed in others so they could believe in themselves. Great leadership isn’t a dictatorship, it’s nurturing potential, so it can thrive in confidence. How lucky are we that we get to experience and young man from Serbia called Nikola Jokic.
Everyone needs support. Everyone needs to be believed in to reach their full potential. Be that person for someone who seeks it, because they might just end up being an MVP.
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