The Greatest Lessons to Learn from Kobe Bryant’s Legacy

5 Lessons to Learn from Kobe Bryant’s Legacy

When the news of Kobe Bryant’s death shocked the entire nation, nobody knew how to interpret the situation. Even for casual basketball fans and simply people who looked for inspirational people, Kobe Bryant was certainly a household name. As millions of people know who Kobe was, it is important to treat his life as legacy and take lessons from everything that he achieved. For people who are not even interested in basketball, Kobe Bryant’s life can serve as an inspiration since he was always driven to achieve new things.

Here are 5 important lessons that we can learn from Kobe Bryant’s legacy:

1. Hard work is important.

When someone like Michael Jordan says that Kobe was the only person to ever replicate his work ethic, it is essential to learn more about Kobe’s life and the approach he took. Kobe Bryant was always a hard worker and was never afraid to be disciplined. When a tough situation arose, he stood up to the challenge and worked his very best to achieve his goals. Even when he was injured, he was always the first person to show up at the gym for practice as early as 5am. 

This level of discipline and hard work is important to align with the hustle culture of the 21st century. For business owners and entrepreneurs alike, Kobe Bryant’s life and legacy serves as great motivation to always work as hard as possible to achieve your goals. Since Kobe had a vision to work towards, he was never reluctant to put in the hard work required to make that vision his reality someday – and he certainly did. 

As Gary Vee said, “Your legacy is being written by yourself. Make the right decisions.” Not only is it important to work hard, but it is also essential to make the correct decisions in a given situation that can help you achieve your goals. 

2. Create a high standard for yourself.

NBA player Chris Bosh appreciated Kobe’s work ethic by saying that he successfully set the standard for excellence. It is easy to infer from this statement that Kobe was certainly a perfectionist – someone who knew that his standards were high and that he needed to continuously put in the effort required to reach those high standards. 

Kobe always demanded more than 100% from his teammates and was the first person to confront them when he knew they were lacking behind. When Kobe wasn’t satisfied with a teammate’s performance, he would let them know directly instead of finding ways to ignore the situation. 

Tony Robbins famously said: “If you don’t set a baseline standard for what you’ll accept in life, you’ll find it’s easy to slip into behaviors and attitudes or a quality of life that’s far below what you deserve.”

Entrepreneurs and businessmen can draw inspiration from this by setting a high standard of excellence for themselves. Instead of being satisfied with mediocre results, it is important to keep pushing yourself towards a bigger goal. Knowing what you deserve and being aware of your own capabilities is the first and foremost rule to creating a high standard. When you know you can achieve something better, you will never be hesitant to take the risks involved in reaching your full potential – even if that means putting in endless hours of work. 

If you want to be motivated from the work of Kobe Bryant, you can get this Kobe Bryant Believe artwork that will help you believe in your potential. 

3. Always be prepared

Obsession has a negative reputation in the world of entrepreneurship. People think that if you become obsessed with your work, you are destined to fail. Kobe, however, contradicted that perspective. He himself became obsessed with defeating Allen Iverson after facing defeat once, which is why he was able to keep Iverson scoreless when they finally had a rematch. 

Entrepreneurs should learn that it is okay to fail, but it is of utmost importance to know how to perform better. Becoming obsessed with learning from your failures can help you achieve the most remarkable results in any field. Even if you fail at a certain project, you should carefully analyze the reasons behind your failure and meticulously prepare for the next project. This way, you can stay motivated and have a sense of purpose for what you are working towards. 

4. Look up to mentors.

Kobe always admitted that his career idol was Michael Jordan. By having a mentor as inspirational as Jordan himself, Kobe was able to keep himself motivated to outperform his mentor. People commonly speculate that towards the end of Bryant’s career, he was finally able to reach the excellence that Michael Jordan once had in the field of basketball. 

You can find mentors in any field. Whether it is a senior executive or an inspirational leader who you look up to, mentors can help you find a sense of direction. If you are in close company of your mentor, they can train you and equip you with the skills you need to perform as good as them. When you learn through mentorship, you remain motivated and know exactly what you need to do to achieve your goals. 

For entrepreneurs, this lesson is important because it contradicts the popular belief of never looking up to anyone else and making your own career path. While each individual has a distinct approach towards how they do things, having a mentor train you through the process can help you learn from their experiences and never fall victim to the same mistakes. 

5. Have a long-term plan

What do you want to achieve 10 years from now? While everyone knows about Kobe’s incredible Championship rings and All-Star appearances, not many are aware of the fact that Kobe had an unmatched NBA record where he played with one team consistently. The only reason why Kobe did not feel the need to switch to a higher-paying or more successful team than the Lakers is because he was a firm believer in loyalty. He knew that when he committed to one team, he needs to stay consistent, even on the bad days. 

Entrepreneurs can learn an incredible lesson from this: to never give up. While there may be better opportunities available, it is important to stay consistent with your long-term goal. Once you commit to a certain organization or field of work, you should invest all of your effort into making that organization the best in the industry. Instead of taking the easy way out and leaving when things get tough, a true entrepreneur should rise to the challenge and push himself to the limit in order to achieve a long-term, team objective. 

David Goggins said, “It is possible to transcend anything that doesn’t kill you.” Even if you think that you are working too hard without achieving results right now, it is important to stay consistent with your efforts and aim to overcome the challenge at hand. 

Once you make an intention to turn your dreams into reality, nothing is impossible. Taking inspiration from someone as successful as Kobe Bryant is easy – especially since he has left a legacy behind that will continue to motivate generations to come.