What does it take to be a high-performing, super successful athlete? (and why does it matter to business owners?) The best person to ask or to model is Michael Jordan. James and I recently watched The Last Dance, the documentary following the Chicago Bulls’ '97-'98 season.
There were so many amazing moments in this documentary and there are so many similarities between being a high-level athlete and a high-performing business owner. As I was watching the documentary, I literally had a notebook and pen out and was taking notes throughout.
One of the first things that I noticed about Michael’s character and his drive was his ability and desire to do things himself. He took on the pressure, he took on the responsibility, he took on every aspect of the team’s performance and made himself the focus of that energy. Mostly because he knew that he could carry the load.
… but here’s the thing about taking everything on yourself, you can’t do it alone. Even Michael had to rely on his team to win the games which he learned throughout that season.
I share several other key moments throughout this episode, but one of the other keys to Michael’s success was his mindset. He refused to think about failure. He was quoted beautifully as saying, “Why would I think about missing a shot I haven’t even taken yet?”
This is truly a perfect question. So many times as business owners we worry about failure before anything has even happened. Your mindset and your ability to show up will be the things that help you through. True failure doesn’t exist in business. Everything is a process of learning.
Have you seen the documentary? If so, share your takeaways!
In this Episode:
[02:34] Believe it or not, I did not follow Michael Jordan back in the ’90s, but I was fascinated by his ability to build what he built.
[04:05] One of the things that stood out to me was his ability and desire to do things himself.
[07:45] The other thing I noticed about Michael was that he didn’t care if other people didn’t like him, he was there to win.
[09:55] His teammates even said that yeah, sometimes he was a jerk, but he prepared us to be better.
[11:33] Listen as I share a quote from Michael regarding the HOW of success.
[13:34] Despite being super sick from food poisoning, Michael still showed up in the big game against the Utah Jazz.
[16:12] One more take away from that same episode was the concept of watching game tapes and using that preparation in our businesses.
[18:35] Michael Jordan’s superpower was being present. How often are we NOT present?
[21:13] Why would I think about missing a shot I haven’t taken yet? This is such a powerful statement for business owners.
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Quotes:
“It’s really important that of course, we have the “I’ll do it myself” mentality in the beginning because we get things done, but that will only take us so far.” - Emily Williams
“It’s not over until it’s over. I think that we all need to remember that of course, it’s important to have goals and to have drive, but let’s also not get attached to the how.” - Emily Williams
