Sunday, February 15, 2009

Shane Battier and the Dynamics of Success

I'm not usually one to gush about articles, but the NY Times Magazine piece on Shane Battier is an absolute gem. Although he is not the most physically gifted and talented athlete in the NBA, he has found his niche in pro basketball. The article does a great job of illustrating that niche and demonstrating how Battier has developed and maintained it.

The implications for trading are enormous. Here are just a few:

1) Your success comes from knowing and accepting your strengths and limitations;

2) Your edge has to be cultivated on a continuous basis; you have to adapt to the game faster than it adapts to you;

3) You don't have to be freakishly talented to find success, but you do have to be freakishly devoted to exploiting your edge;

4) It's amazing how much you can accomplish when you are focused on the game and not ego-focused;

5) Study, study, study the numbers: Success comes from knowing who you're up against better than they know themselves.

Battier comes across as a bright, dedicated professional. Because he is such an intense student of the game, he finds opportunity where others do not. The dynamics of success aren't so different in athletics, markets, business--and life itself.
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