Sports fans know that LeBron James recently won his second NBA basketball championship – and he did it two years in a row. Many people consider LeBron the best player in the world. However, many people may not know that he didn’t rest on his laurels after winning his first championship last year. Several critics said LeBron’s skills were limited to making easy dunks and layups. He couldn’t hit the big jumpshot in a pressure-packed situation.
LeBron took the criticism to heart and spent the last nine months working on his jumpshot behind the scenes. He sought out experts and practiced relentlessly to integrate that skill into his game. When this year’s championship game came down to the wire, LeBron hit an all-important jumpshot in the closing seconds to secure the win. As the best player in the world, LeBron could have said that he was already good enough to be considered a champion. Instead, he sought out new ways to improve and raise his game to new levels.
You may be a bestselling author, president of a successful business, or director of a thriving non-proft organization. Beware of the “success trap,” which is falling into a mindset where you think there’s nothing left to learn. Ask yourself if there are new skills you could add to your marketing abilities. For example:
- If you’re good writer, focus on becoming a good speaker.
- If you’re good at public speaking, concentrate on improving your writing skills.
- If you’re a frequent user of social media, strive to land more media interviews on radio and TV.
- If you reached a sales record last year, focus on doing it again more efficiently by learning to generate increased referral business.
What new marketing skill could you add to your business? Even a champion like LeBron acknowledged that he still had room for growth. Likewise, when you take time to invest in yourself, you may find yourself enjoying back-to-back, record-breaking years.
