A Letter from Chris Suarez
BRING THE BOAT IN
This weekend after finishing an 11 month remodel of what we affectionately call our “farm house”, the movers finally came to help me bring our furniture into a mostly completed home. The reason why I put "farm" in quotes is because my daughters believe in order for it to be a true farm, we must of course have horses, and chickens, and goats, and pigs, and llamas. There must be llamas. But don’t worry, next week in my letter I’ll be sharing some eye opening lessons learned over the past months (almost year) from the move.
This morning I wanted to share a quote from the late Kobe Bryant that I heard this weekend in an interview I was listening to while unpacking. Kobe was asked how he got his teammates to be so committed. He of course had a storied past with some teammates and had a reputation of being a bit insensitive at times in his pursuit of winning. But his teammates showed up much like he did, night after night.
The secret?
There wasn’t one.
His mantra?
"Don’t tell me how rough the water is… Just bring the boat in.”
It didn't matter how rough our choppy that water was against the "shore of execution" or "dock of winning”. Kobe brought the boat in. He always did. And he expected those around him to do so as well. For this, he at times was labeled as insensitive, unwelcoming, or even without empathy. He didn’t want to hear how rough the water was. After all he was on the boat. He didn’t need that play by play, that reminder of how difficult it was, or the complaining.
But looking back, that commitment to “bring the boat in”, regardless of the condition of the water, made him one of the greatest players of all times, one of the most skilled and successful in his industry. It also made everyone around him better. Many remember all of Kobe’s awards and accolades, but they forget that while he was playing five other teammates became NBA All Stars, two earned the coveted 6th Man Award, countless won multiple NBA Championship rings. At times, the likes of Eddie Jones, Rick Fox, Robert Horry, Lamar Odom, and certainly Shaquille O’Neal disagreed, argued, and even butt heads with him.
Why? Because choppy water isn’t easy to navigate. Leading others through that water towards a goal can be even more complex. This year has been nothing short of choppy.
Some of us have felt like we are headed to bring in that boat hull first with all of the resistance of the world in front of us. The bow of our boat somehow ended up in the wrong direction and we are backing our way towards shore. Some of us have felt like our engine gave out at the end of the first quarter.
But in order to "bring the boat in”, all of you needed to get the bow headed in the right direction. Some of you needed to pick up a paddle and exert energy into the business like you have never done before. Others almost literally grabbed a rope, tied it around their waste, jumped in, and began swimming.
In so doing some results were expected, and others unexpected.
Kobe was always willing to do what it took to win. He outworked everyone. He was so good, not because he was born great, but he was committed to being great. Kobe was going to win, with our without you. That was expected. What was unexpected is how committed and great everyone around him became. What was unexpected was the level at which he team showed up and performed.
Leadership is bringing people down a path to their preferred future. As you jumped into the rough water and began bringing the boat in, the unexpected happened.
Your teammates, your starters, and your 6th men (and women) have been jumping in with you. We all become better players by the players we choose to surround ourselves with, by the players that get drafted and signed to our team.
When you show up and realize your teammate has been on the court practicing a free throw or a jump shot or sprints a full hour before you got to the gym, well you practice just a little bit more that day, a little bit harder that day. And you show up at least 15 minutes earlier the next. Is that easy? Some days it is. But not most.
We are headed into choppy waters. I believe what we’ve just experienced in our industry was actually the calm before the storm. It’s September 2020 and collectively you have surpassed the goals you set for yourself for this year way back in the fourth quarter of 2019. The wind is picking up, the water is choppy, and the current is strong.
What do we do now?
Prepare your dock lines, attach your fenders, line up your approach, judge the water conditions, lead, and move forward.
It's time to bring the boat in.
Chris