On the July 8, 2020 edition of The John Maxwell Leadership Podcast, John provided his thoughts on Michael Jordan and the recent 10-part ESPN documentary The Last Dance. Neither John nor Michael Jordan need an introduction so let’s get right to it along with three companion posts:
- 43 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From Michael Jordan From The Last Dance Parts 1 & 2
- 6 Leadership Costs Michael Jordan Paid From His Emotional Speech In The Last Dance Episode 7,
- 9 Reasons Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban Respects Michael Jordan So Much.
The following are John Maxwell’s 6 Leadership Lessons From Michael Jordan And The Last Dance. All quotes are from John.
Opening statement – “Experience is not the best teacher. Evaluated experience is the best teacher.”
Michael Jordan’s success was greater than his talent.
- “No matter how talented you are, you must make great choices.”
- “Great talent + great choices = The peak of the success ladder.”
- “Belief lifts your talent.”
- “Passion energizes your talent.”
- “Initiative activates your talent.”
- “Focus directs your talent.”
- “Preparation positions your talent.”
- “Practice sharpens your talent.”
- “Perseverance sustains your talent.”
- “Courage tests your talent.”
- “Teachability expands your talent.”
- “Character protects your talent.”
- “Relationships influence your talent.”
- “Responsibility strengthens your talent.”
- “Teamwork multiplies your talent.”
- “8 of the 13 were visible qualities the documentary showed about Michael Jordan.”
- ‘Being the best was not good enough for Michael.”
- ‘”Best” is about now… Tomorrow I have to improve. Best is only best for the moment.”
- “My ceiling right now becomes the floor I build on tomorrow.”
- “Best can always be improved.”
- “Leaders need to stay out in front.”
- “Continual improvement results in continual leading.”
The margin between winning and losing is small but it’s significant.
- “If you knew how close you are to succeeding, you would be very encouraged.”
- “The greatest hindrance to tomorrow’s success is today’s success.”
- “He was consistent to keep his edge.”
- “There’s less traffic on the extra mile.”
- “They (leaders at this level) want respect more than approval. They want to lead more than be liked.”
- “You push your players in the areas of choice – areas of values, areas of their strengths. There’s always room for improvement in these areas.”
- “You’re patient with them if they lack maturity, inexperienced, or lack skill.”
Mental toughness is the core of a champion.
- “The secret weapon of Michael Jordan was his mind.”
- “Champions are bigger on the inside than they are on the outside.”
- “Winning is an inside job.”
Losing greatness is usually an inside job.
- “You take winning away from yourself.”
- “My greatest leadership challenge is leading me.”
- “The greatest challenge for championship teams is staying hungry and not letting ego get in the mix.”
- “You can be a good general manager but if your ego gets out of place, you can become a bad general manager.”
Be the example so you can say, “Follow me”
- “Michael never asked them to do something he wouldn’t do. His standard for himself was also higher than his standard for the players.”
- “The moral authority is higher than a Most Valuable Player or scoring title could ever give you.”
One is too small a number to achieve greatness
- “Those closest to the leader determine the level of your success.”
What is one thing you learned from John’s teaching on Michael Jordan and The Last Dance which will make you a better leader?
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