What Students and Careerists Can Learn from LeBron's Decision
Paul Richlovsky, Managing Editor, YouShouldGoToSchool.com
As even non-sports fans know, former NBA free agent and Cleveland Cavalier LeBron James announced on July 8 in a one-hour prime-time ESPN special that he would sign with the Miami Heat. The following are principles taken from James' approach to free agency that can be applied to both college students and careerists looking to excel in today's workforce.
Plan ahead. LeBron James signed a three-year contract extension in 2006 (along with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh) in order to have flexibility in 2010. What's your long-term plan? Do you have a goal for the next 6 months? Next year? Next three years? Plan it out, and then follow through, whether it's taking classes or more responsibility on the job.
Have patience.
Honor your contract. If you eventually grow dissatisfied, wait out its terms. When it's over, you are free do what you want. LBJ honored his three-year contract, performing to the best of his abilities (other than Game 5 of the conference semi-finals). When the contract expired, he met with the teams that interested him and fit his salary requirements. If you have student loans, honor the payment schedule and try to make all of your payments when you need to make them. When your loan obligation is over, then you're free to invest/spend that previous allocation how you like.
Exercise your rights.
NBA players fought for a long time to get a collective bargaining agreement that would allow them
unrestricted free agency starting in 1988. With this right came the options that any unrestricted free agent faces: sign with your own club for max money/years, sign with another for a little less money and potentially one less year, or get max money/years from your current team, then get traded to the other team (Bosh/LBJ).
You have rights as a student, prospective hire, or employee. Know them. Students in public higher education have the right to free speech and to participate in the governance of their institution. Prospective employees have the right to not directly answer questions about family or religion in a job interview. Hourly workers have a right to a minimum wage and overtime pay.
Listen to your heart.
In the end, LeBron James' self-determination allowed him to make the choice to leave his hometown team despite knowledge that he would be vilified. He chose South Beach despite pleas from family members, friends, and his best friend (and fellow NBA star) Chris Paul to stay in Cleveland. He took the chance that he would make less money to join his good (and talented) basketball friends in Miami, although after the eventual Cleveland sign-and-trade, he didn't end up taking less money.
What job is best suited for your talents? What would you most love doing? Are you currently in a career you enjoy, or are you on track for one? Are your skills and talents being maximized, or are you languishing in mediocrity?
Control the debate.
LeBron negotiated his scripted hour of air time with Jim Gray and ESPN. If you want to be a successful negotiator, whether for class credit with a college administrator or a higher starting salary at your next job, you need to control the debate. if you control the debate, you stand a better chance of getting what you want. James may have looked awkward (body-language-wise), but he didn't get any tough questions from Gray. This is likely because Gray was James' preferred interviewer and was getting paid by the entity that was set up by James' marketing agency for the production. The lesson: control your environment, and you stand a better chance of getting what you want.
Ultimately, whether you support, condemn, or ignore James' decision to form a superteam, you can learn more from studying how he went about his business than from talking about narcissism, betrayals, reality TV, or tampering.