All it's cracked up to be

Our Inner LeBron

The argument over whether Michael Jordan or LeBron James is the basketball GOAT (greatest of all time) will never abate. What is not in question is that LeBron is the greatest in the modern game.

He has surpassed 50,000 points (the next current player, Kevin Durant, has ‘just’ 35,000). In addition, he has 10,000+ rebounds, and 10,000+ assists (helping others to score), demonstrating unparalleled versatility. Most amazingly, his stats haven’t changed in 20 years. Just think about that: a 40 year-old athlete is performing at the same level he was in his 20s.

How is that even possible?

The answer lies in LeBron's program of maintenance and regeneration.

I was astonished to learn that he spends $1.5 million annually on his body. This buys cryotherapy, hyperbaric chambers, personalised nutrition, and a team of specialists dedicated to maintaining his physical capital. He has an unvarying schedule which includes a 6.30am cold plunge for 10 to 15 minutes, warm up on the court in the morning, and a nap between noon and 2pm. On a game day James does a series of deliberate activations, including stretching, massaging, and strengthening his core muscles hours before the 7pm tip-off. Lastly, he purposefully recovers: sleeping long hours, and limiting screen time. This is an unquestionable investment that is repaid about 100:1, not just in game-winning performances, but financially (his $50m player salary + an estimated $80m of endorsement income).

At an age when other athletes have completed their decline, LeBron has understood something fundamental: prevention costs less than repair. He doesn't wait for breakdown; he constantly reinforces his strong foundations.

The parallel for our organisations is striking. How many of us wait until our offerings show signs of failure before investing in maintenance? Microsoft, for instance, invests enormous resources in ongoing code refactoring, architecture improvements, and system maintenance even when products appear to be functioning perfectly. They dedicate up to 30% of developer time to "invisible" improvements that we users never see — strengthening foundations, improving resilience, and preventing future breakdowns.

LeBron's approach teaches us that sustainability isn't about heroic interventions when systems fail. It's about consistent, deliberate investment in the foundations that make excellence possible — and sustainable.

Question: What are you investing in while you’re ‘winning’, and not waiting for failure to appear?

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Huggable robots

In the animated movie Big Hero 6, the supporting lead is a robot, Baymax. He is soft, almost cuddly. He cares (he’s actually a fully medically trained doctor). He solves problems and intervenes gracefully.

Baymax is an example of a diegetic prototype.

What?

A diegetic prototype is a futuristic concept or technology that exists within the narrative world of a story. Unlike a traditional prototype built in a lab, diegetic prototypes live in the imagination - presented through film, fiction, illustration or other storytelling mediums. They show not just what might be technically possible, but how people might interact with and relate to these innovations emotionally and socially.

Disney didn't just create Baymax as a lovable character; they were essentially prototyping public acceptance of healthcare robots. By showing audiences a world where such technology seems natural and beneficial, they normalised an idea that might otherwise seem threatening: machines making medical decisions about human bodies.

Forward-thinking organisations are increasingly using diegetic prototyping as a way to place innovations within relatable human contexts. Let’s go back to Microsoft. When they wanted to explore the future of productivity, they created a series of "productivity future vision" videos showing people interacting with seamless AI systems, flexible displays, and ambient computing environments. These weren't just marketing materials - they were testing grounds for public reaction and internal alignment around vision.

The technique works because it bypasses our analytical defences. When we evaluate a proposed technology directly, we immediately identify problems and barriers. When we experience it through story, we engage first with its human possibilities and emotional resonance.

How might you use diegetic prototyping?

1. Service Innovation: Before restructuring services, create day-in-the-life scenarios showing clients experiencing your reimagined approach. Use these narratives to identify emotional pain points and unexpected benefits.

2. Change Management: When implementing significant organisational changes, develop short vignettes of employees thriving within the new system, addressing potential opportunities (and concerns) through narrative rather than PowerPoint.

3. Strategy Development: When proposing strategic shifts that feel too abstract or uncertain, create scenario stories showing how you might operate five years from now under different strategic choices.

What makes this approach powerful is that it invites conversation, not just about technical feasibility, but about desirability. It asks not just "Could we build this?" but "Would we want to live in a world where this exists?"

Question: To create comfort with a bold new direction, do you need a better prototype, or a better story?

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Don’t let them decide

The rapid uptake of AI has created a "Wild West" scenario in some of my client organisations.

What I mean is this.

Staff members freely experiment — quite independently — with ChatGPT and other AI assistants. Each person develops their own approach with varying degrees of effectiveness. This enthusiasm masks the inconsistent outputs, errors — and even security concerns.

What should be happening is what one of my clients does: they issue “AI Work Instructions”. Rather than saying "use AI when appropriate," they created specific pathways with clear instructions on when and how to use these tools within established workflows. For example, they didn’t want staff experimenting with customer email responses, so instead they provide specific instructions: "For initial draft responses to customer inquiry emails, use Template A with our approved ChatGPT account, then review for accuracy, personalisation, and compliance with our communication standards."

Question: Have you developed clear work instructions for AI use, or are you relying on individual improvisation?

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Until next Friday, enjoy looking for outstanding performances wherever you happen to be,

Andrew