Andre Iguodala - 3-Time NBA Champion, 2015 NBA Finals MVP, and 19-year NBA Veteran.
I have been thinking a lot about the term ‘agility’ and how it is predicated on the ability to navigate change effectively. It can’t be simulated and it can be done by micro-dosing. To really become agile, you have to take the hard and soft skills you’ve been able to build and apply them in completely new situations. And that can rarely be done without major change. It spans change in those you report to, to those who report to you, and even the business paradigm that you work within. As a consultant / advisor, you are helping clients solve their problems. But, you never really get a feeling that you are ever building anything. The variety is there, but in the end, you are still providing a transactional service. And I think there is a lot of merit to going out and finding a place where you can build something - maybe not from the ground-up (I’m not into start-up syndrome), but perhaps a place that is ‘on the verge’. A place that has brand recognition, but is still finding its way. Is the grass always greener on the other side? Well, it depends what you’ve done with the grass on your side. If you’ve spent significant time building a career on your side, I’d say you’ve watered it.
The hunger and ambition that enables meaningful and significant change has a very short window and once it’s gone….it’s gone. You have to trust your gut and your instincts to take the bold and courageous act of making change, but that’s part of the point. It’s not about seeking out failure to reaffirm that where you were comfortable was in-fact the right place - it’s quite the opposite. It’s about finding a type of success that goes beyond delivering a service - a commitment to being somewhere that has no sense of ‘this is the way it’s always been done’. Culture and institutional values are important, but having influence in building them is far more interesting to me at this point.
So what the heck does Andre Iguodala have to do with any of this. Well, I watched Andre Iguodala play at the University of Arizona, and I have watched him constantly adapt the way he plays in so many ways to not only stay relevant, but be an extremely valuable component that every championship team is looking to add to their roster 19 years after he entered the league. He entered the league as an extremely athletic leaper who has stayed healthy, remained fit, and always seems to find a way to contribute in ways that are…invaluable. He didn’t get that way by doing the same thing year-after-year. He got that way by putting himself into new situations where he could apply his talent in different ways. Nobody remembers that he started as Allen Iverson’s sidekick in Philadelphia. He could have relied on just his athleticism and had an extremely productive NBA career…but he never would have been an NBA Finals MVP, nor would he have three rings. He’s the athletic personification of ‘agility’ driven by his willingness to change scenery, roles, etc. His longevity in-and-of-itself is remarkable. His success within that longevity is something to strive for. People don’t become expendable just because they get older; they become expendable because they become far-too-satisfied with the status quo. It can happen at 25, 30, or 60.
So, in a world full of Vince Carter’s and Tracy McGrady’s (both remarkable but one-dimensional players), there’s much to be said for a guy like Andre Iguodala who collects millions of dollars per year now to really play 15 - 20 games…that’s it. It is somewhat ironic that agility and change ultimately buy you the freedom to be content.
