The Jordan Effect: Managing High Performers
“Now this is the law of the jungle, as old and as true as the sky;
and the wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the wolf that shall break it must die.
As the creeper that girdles the tree trunk, the law runneth forward and back;
for the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack.”
The Jungle Book
Rudyard Kipling
Phil Jackson shares this quote in his book “Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior” which I would highly recommend reading his account on how he coached the Bulls, and Michael Jordan to win 6 championships, to any people manager.
Carrying the Weight of the Team
Many of you are familiar with the story of Michael Jordan - the legendary NBA player who led the Chicago Bulls through six record-breaking championship seasons. A story that might be less familiar is that of Phil Jackson, the coach of the Bulls during those record runs.
Phil faced a truly daunting task. Everyone saw that Michael was the ultimate strength of the Bulls. He dominated on the court - even his own teammates were starstruck - his own teammates were fans. They held back, stayed out of his way, and kept whatever feedback they might have to themselves. Every time they did, though, the team grew weaker. If they relied on Michael alone, what were they without him?
As a coach, Phil knew his role was to build a well-rounded team that highlighted the strengths of each player. For the Bulls, it had to start with Michael. Phil couldn’t tone Michael down or bring the team to Michael’s level. But he could get Michael to become a leader on the team.
The Bulls could never stifle Michael’s dominance - Phil knew this. But rather than leave the rest of the team on the sidelines, Phil encouraged Michael to look for the value they could bring. It gave Michael greater responsibility as a teacher and a leader who needed to lift his teammates up and trust them to deliver. It had the added effect of taking pressure off Michael to feel that the team’s performance rested on solely his shoulders.
It didn’t work to begin with. For two years it was messy, uncomfortable and painful as everyone had to learn the system. But once it stuck, it stuck and the results, well speak for themselves.
Michael didn't buy into Phil at first, but when Phil presented his Triangle offense strategy, it hinged on Michael's buy-in, but for it to work, Michael had to relinquish control and start passing. Because Phil was able to present a clear vision and intent for what he wanted the team to achieve, whilst leveraging multiple skillsets he was able to bring Michael with him.
With Michael in this position, the Bulls developed incredible dynamics on the court between Michael and other players like Scottie Pippin, Dennis Rodman, and Steve Kerr. Phil has a knack for reading each player's state of mind and forces them to move through the discomfort of working with people who bring different styles to the court. Michael remained the dominant A player to the end. But the value that Phil brought was to bring the Bulls together as a team to win.
Bringing it back to management
As a manager, you’ll encounter A-players like Michael in your teams. You might even have a few people that came to mind already. A-players often get wrapped up in their ego - they naturally favor doing things themselves instead of trusting others to deliver. They can come off as extremely critical, making it hard for them to hear the opinion of others or take criticism.
Of course, it’s also vital that you provide your team with enough support to feel confident in their ability to deliver. On the Bulls, Michael took a lot of time under Phil’s guidance to build relationships with his teammates. Part of this process included repairing some hurt feelings from Michael’s resistance to collaboration.
It was tense, but it was needed.
With the right support, you can teach A players to see the strengths in others, shifting their focus away from themselves and onto the collective team effort. But it requires you to have a strong vision, patience, and discipline. You want to give them the responsibility to lift others up which helps everyone to feel valued and contribute in a meaningful way to the team.
Phil wasn’t intimidated by Michael’s abilities and energy, and as managers, you shouldn't compare yourselves or threatened by your A-players. Check-in with your own ego and identify the role you are there to play in enabling them to perform at their best. It's not about competing, dominance or exerting authority with them but coaching them to thrive. Your win is when they're holding the trophy alongside the team, not when it’s in your hands.
When managed well, A players can drive up the collective performance of your team, when allowed to their own devices, they can pull it down. Building these important dynamics into your team starts with how you lead. Reflect on your management style and start to shift your approach to A players on your teams. Don’t avoid calling them out on behaviors that don’t serve the team collectively, because you’re fearful that they might leave. Connect that their performance will be enhanced the better they are at leading others. Leading isn’t just about delivering, if you can’t get people to connect with you, you can’t lead. Start coaching your A players to understand how to build that connection with others. Your team will collectively be better off for it.
And remember,
“for the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack.”
You Got This.
If you’re interested in developing your leadership style in these uncertain times, you might be interested in talking to us about some of our remote offerings.
At OverTime Leader we provide executive leadership and management advisory for technology-enabled businesses and teams. If you are looking to spark a people-powered change in your business our team has a toolbox full of ways to help you get started.
Sign up for our newsletter for insights, tools, and tips.