Leadership Lessons from Kobe Bryant & The Redeem Team
Who around you is elevating your game by leading by example? In this episode of Best Year Ever, Rob Cressy is inspired by The Redeem Team documentary on Netflix, and shares how Kobe Bryant gives the blueprint for leadership, high performance, and creating new levels of success.
Here’s the podcast version:
Connect with us:
- Rob Cressy – Instagram: @rob_cressy – LinkedIn: /cressy/ – Twitter: @RobCressy

Top 5 leadership lessons from Kobe Bryant
- Leading by example is key to inspiring and motivating others to succeed.
- Surrounding yourself with people who are committed to excellence can elevate your own performance.
- Accountability and a strong work ethic are important for achieving success.
- It is important to continually strive for improvement and seek out opportunities for growth.
- Having a coach or mentor can provide guidance and support on the path to success.
Transcription of the podcast:
(note: what follows is an AI-generated transcript from this video. Please be mindful that the transcript may not be 100% accurate)
Who around you is elevating your game by leading by example. When you understand this one key to high performance, it’ll unlock so many levels of success for you. So last night, I’m watching the Redeem Team documentary on Netflix, and there’s a scene where the entire Team USA basketball team goes out except for one person.
And when the team gets back to the hotel at 5:00 AM who’s sitting there in the. But Kobe Bryant, he’s sitting there in his workout gear, his weightlifting gloves on, ready to go lift and get out into workouts. And when all the team members see this, at first, they’re like, Man, what in the world’s Kobe doing?
And boom, they’re going up, they’ve had a few drinks, they’re going back to their hotel room, and they’re all just sort of like chuckling or looking at. But then all of a sudden the seed got planted and slowly but surely, one person at a time comes one day, a few, the next day they realize something, huh?
We’re all in on winning this gold medal. And yeah, it’s cool and fun that we can go and party in Vegas, but there’s Kobe Bryant and he’s out working us, and these are the best in the best in the world right now. And they’re seeing somebody who is out ing them. All of a sudden, Kobe set the example. Kobe set the standard of excellence of what it means to be the best of the best.
Kobe was all in, and because he led by example, the rest of the team, within one week were all joining Kobe in those morning workouts. It’s something that transformed the lives in careers of every single one of those players, because moving forward, they all knew what it was like to work with the best and the best and what they do.
Kobe gave them the blueprint to show them what is the next level, because many of us, including these NBA players, we sit there and we’re like, Man, I’m already great. I’m already the best at what we. And then they look over and they see Kobe and boom, that guy’s already out working them. They’re out clubbing, Boom.
Kobe’s putting in work. The same is true for all of us. We think we’re great, but who is around us to help us get to the next level? Because you don’t want to be in a room where you are the best. You always wanna be in a room where you can find someone to help you level up and elevate your game, because when you do, boom, the sky is the limit.
You can do anything you want in your. And maybe right now you’re sitting there, you want to increase your standard. You want more freedom, happiness, time. You want to create your vision, whatever it is. So who around you right now is leveling up that standard for you? Who around you right now is all in? Who is showing you the way in the blueprint and the accountability to say, You know what, you can be better and I’m going to show you the way by leading by example.
Leading by example is the best way that leaders lead. And as leaders, the best thing that we can do is follow other amazing leaders. It doesn’t mean we want to be exactly like them, it just means we’re gonna take the best and the best from them and implement that in our life. So as a call to action for you, I encourage you to audit yourself right now and say, Number one, how high is my standard?
Number two, am I all in? And number three, who around me is leading by example and helping me be better than I am right now? Because if you don’t have anyone, I encourage you to find a coach, find a mentor, find somebody around you that inspires you to be great and be better. Because when you do, amazing things will happen.