Characteristics of Success

My apologies if last week was a little too heavy on Milwaukee Bucks history for one personal finance and career advice blog. What can I say? My team did something they never have done in my lifetime, and I was a little jazzed. It did, however, inspire this series of blogs about success. As promised, this week's focus is on character's role in the formula for success - with your Milwaukee Bucks as examples.

"DIY Characters"... I don't know what's sadder: That these were ever made, or that I'm using them in a blog about success.

Building Character

The idea of building character is a difficult concept. There is no college course on it, you can't go to the gym to develop it, and you can't watch a Netflix documentary and absorb it through osmosis. Character can be instilled at a young age, and is often forged over time through life experiences, failure, and adversity. But is it just a trial by fire? Do you need to have an epic life-changing moment to build character? Not necessarily - we will all face some challenges in life that would qualify. The real key to building character is all in the response. Do you wilt, or do you recover and grow?

People often mistake this means you have to let everything just roll of your back and pretend it didn't happen. False! Deep Patel of Entrepreneur walks through the steps of overcoming to ensure you will succeed. If you lose your job, make a bad financial decision, or have a personal setback, it is 100% acceptable and even good to have an emotional response. You shouldn't be indifferent to bad outcomes - you should want more for yourself. From there, you will work through it to find your success.

The best example of this on your 2021 NBA Championship team is Mr. Giannis Antetokounmpo. Born in Athens, Greece, Giannis was born to Nigerian immigrants. His parents struggled to find stable employment for their young family, but always strove to instill hard work and positivity into their children. To help support the family, a young Giannis and his brothers sold goods on the streets of Athens - and took pride in competing for who could sell the most. As Giannis tells it, he did because he was the most handsome! Even when he made it to the NBA, Giannis sent almost all his money back home as a rookie. Thousands of miles away from his loved ones, during a cold Wisconsin winter, the 18-year-old walked to Bucks games because he didn't own a car. But it wasn't just facing hurdles along the way - he worked. Adding 45 lbs. of muscle and crafting his skill set, he was awarded the Most Valuable Player twice. Yet, Giannis remained focus on the goal of a championship. After several years of playoff underachievement, the Bucks broke through and won thanks in large part to Giannis' impact.

But it doesn't stop with the Greek Freak. The franchise is teeming (see what I did there?) with good people! Jrue Holiday and his wife have pledged millions to black-owned businesses and non-profits. Khris Middleton has been incredibly charitable throughout his career (even before his big contract), including a $1 million scholarship fund to his old high school. Although he jumped ship to the Lakers after last season, role player Wesley Matthews gave the largest individual athlete gift to the MACC Fund to fight childhood cancer. Charity is character in action. When leaders set an example, the effect can be contagious in an organization. In a family, parents and other relatives play a critical role in shaping a child's world view and approach to life. Your character is influenced by the people around you; therefore, if you surround yourself (or your basketball team) with good people, won't you be better?

Character And Resiliency

Character is critical to success, but why? The path to success is not linear. In the journey to achievement, you will have small victories and setbacks along the way. Those who have character work through challenges and demonstrate resiliency along the way. It's all about knowing how to handle the negative result. When you've faced similar situations, and found a way through them, you are better equipped to overcome them again. Resiliency isn't about plowing through a situation with the same approach. Doing the same thing twice and expecting different results is the definition of insanity! Adapting to find success takes planning, patience, and humility. You have to first acknowledge you failed, identify what went wrong, and put in the work and time to fix it.

In the sports world, it can be pretty clear - you win or lose. The Bucks were a successful team in the regular season for a few years, but couldn't carry the momentum into the playoffs. It's often said that "playoff basketball" is different - more physical, intense, and competitive. The two veterans of the team - Giannis and Khris Middleton - learned hard lessons from four years of playoff losses, and had to adapt to the increased level of play. The team added hard-nosed players like Jrue Holiday and P.J. Tucker whose defensive mentalities fit perfectly in the playoff atmosphere. High-energy players like Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton offered instant sparks when needed. Two-time NBA Coach of the Year Mike Budenholzer - who national talking heads said should be fired right up until the championship - wisely adapted his lineups to put players in the best position to emphasize their strengths.

High-character individuals and teams tend to thrive in difficult situations. Challenges in life are par for the course. While it's okay to be upset about circumstances, you need to fight through and grow from it. Those that can will build the resiliency necessary to tackle the next one. Those that don't often become victim to life's curve balls and struggle mightily when an even bigger opponent presents itself. Get in the ring, stick it out, and you will reach the goal. Full disclosure: I have been really forcing those sports terms into this conclusion. Better call it a night. Next week, continuing on success, I will focus on a team mentality. Have a great weekend!