Talent is overrated! In the moments and days following the Golden State Warriors winning their third title in four years, much has been made of the superior talent that the Warriors have on their team. While this fact cannot be disputed, it’s not the only thing that has made them a successful team, nor is it the real reason they have been able to win multiple championships in the midst of injuries, setbacks, and distractions.

If talent is the cost of entry, leadership and core values are the keys to excellence. I have seen many talented individuals and teams never realize their potential, because they did not nurture the right leadership culture, and they did not possess foundational core values that were exhibited on a daily basis. For the Warriors, it is clear that they have incredibly talented people on their team, and it is true that they picked up one of the best players in the NBA when they acquired Kevin Durant as a free agent. Their other all stars, however, are home grown players who were drafted and developed into a culture of seeking what I call “collective excellence.”

Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green were not viewed as superior players when they first entered the league, and many people thought Curry would never have a long career in the NBA because of his ankle injuries. When Steve Kerr took over as head coach in 2014, he built on the winning tradition that was rising with the Warriors by nurturing a leadership culture and instilling 4 core values that would become the essence of who the Warriors are on and off the court:

• Joy – includes playing to your strengths individually and collectively and having fun doing it. You will play and perform at your best when you are enjoying and loving what you do. Passion and joy fuel the process of becoming great!
• Mindfulness – involves trusting your system, team, and the process. It also involves being focused and present in every moment and fully engaging in performances and with teammates. Mindfulness leads to being grateful and appreciative of your talents, your teammates, and your opportunities.
• Compassion – involves extending grace to yourself and others. It also means understanding yourself and your teammates and discerning the context of their journey, how they are wired, and how to set them up for success through words and actions.
• Competition – competing every time you step onto the floor including practices and games. The goal is to compete. As football coach Herm Edwards said, “You play to win the game!” But the overall goal is to grow through the process. You can’t control outcomes, but you can impact and influence them through your energy, effort, and competing in the moments of your life.

Your daily routine should center around and focus on your core values. Steve Kerr and his coaching staff as well as the rest of the players incorporate these core values into everything they do, not just when the lights shine the brightest during the NBA Finals. As you think about your role as a leader and your team whether in sports, business, or life, you must connect your daily routine to the core values that are essential and foundational to your organization. You may already have some, or you may want to use these 4 core values and apply them.

The key is to make sure you are building a culture that lives out its core values versus just relying on pure individual talent. While both talent and living out your core values are essential to your success, you can only control one of these. For example, Kevin Durant or Steph can’t always control that every shot will go in, although it sometimes appears that way. They can control their attitude (Joy), energy (Mindfulness and being present), teamwork (Compassion), and effort (Competition). All of these are process-oriented characteristics that affect the outcome of both their performance and the outcome of their games.

The core values and the culture of a team or great business are what they rely on when adversity hits and circumstances try to distract them from accomplishing the goal. It’s in these moments that talent is not enough. You have to rely on something that provides a firm foundation and a path forward. The Warriors relied on their culture and their core values during their championship playoff run even when Steph Curry and Andre Iguodala got hurt and were out for several games.

In the same way, you can use core values and a winning culture to help your family, your team, or your business thrive during both the highs and lows of life. The key question remains:

Are you building a culture based upon foundational core values…or are you just assembling talent and hoping they will eventually come together as a team?

You can also listen to my podcast about the Warriors and their core values.