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LeBron told me to pick my friends as business partners
Why trust is essential for success
Ok, let me explain that bold headline. Once, my father told me in his old man voice: “Family and business don’t mix. Write that down.” I had no idea what he was talking about. I was still a child, but the intensity in his voice made me remember it for a long time. It was the year 2008, the same year I started watching NBA Highlights on Youtube. That was the first time I saw a tape of LeBron James playing basketball. I was instantly amazed. He was better than anybody I had seen before. His combination of skill and strength was unbelievable. But what I found the most exhilarating was his vision. His teammates profited from his greatness because he put them in a great position to score. I had admired LeBron mainly for his superhuman play on the basketball court. Recently though, while preparing a paper for my master’s program, I discovered that not only his teammates had profited from his greatness. His transcendent vision helped him to achieve success off the court. I genuinely believe that his ability to empower the people around him is the reason he became such a good businessman. Maybe you also still have that lingering voice of your father in your ear, telling you that you should not do business with your friends. Then let me show you why LeBron James, while everybody mocked him for the…
