I was pleased to see Michael Jordan’s latest book, “Driven From Within,” hit the best-seller lists. In one of my recent columns, I quoted my favorite line of his: “I can understand failure, but I can’t understand not trying.” His first book, “For the Love of the Game,” was instructive and inspirational, and I wondered what I could take away from his second one.
I knew the answer right from the start. It was adaptability.
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While the biggest NBA star ever, Jordan apprenticed himself for his next career: businessman and entrepreneur. He subordinated himself to reinvent himself. In this century, we’ll all have to do that. We’ll all have multiple careers. If pride goeth before a fall, Michael proves that humility can jump-start a rise.
At the very beginning of the book he states that we all know our own story from our own perspective. He wanted to learn his story from the perspective of the people in his inner circle, so he went to them and asked. Then he did a really clever thing. He pinned the whole book on his evolution as a businessman to the accomplishments of his company, Brand Jordan, especially in the design and manufacture of his signature basketball shoes.
He takes the reader joyfully through his new learning curve. He praises all those who helped him form his values and shaped his education. He begins with his parents and includes all his mentors and advisers, whose quotes are sprinkled throughout the book in a provocative counterpoint to Michael’s own words.
But here’s where adaptability came into play. He had the self-assurance to let others take the lead at times of transition in his life. When he needed to learn more about product design, he listened to Tinker Hatfield, the legendary shoe designer at Nike. He listened, he learned and he followed. But he always remembered who he was and knew how he would be represented. He retained final approval of Air Jordans. When Hatfield came up with the famous Jumpman logo, Michael embraced it, but immediately gave credit for it to his colleague and mentor:
“I can’t say enough about Tinker and what he has meant to the Jordan Brand. I love him to death, and his creative talent speaks for itself. We became a team. He understood exactly what I wanted in the shoes because he understood what was going on in my life at any given time. He had been a world-class athlete himself, so he knew it was about more than just looking at the numbers or responding to what critics were saying. I trust Tinker.”
When Michael needed to learn about contract negotiations, he listened to his agent, David Falk. But again, Michael retained final approval. Wisely, he pegged his profit participation to the sales of his shoes when he elected to stay with Nike after he retired from basketball. The brand still flourishes, the shoes still sell, and his profits still mount.
When he wanted to learn about decision-making, he asked Warren Buffett to explain on what he based his decision-making. “Not much,” Buffett answered. “Whatever my gut tells me, that’s what I do.”
“I thought that was pretty wild,” Michael writes, “because up to that point no decision I made had involved a lot of statistical analysis, or a lot of weighing of the pros and cons. I was just asking myself, ‘What do you feel?’ ”
That approach is not surprising in a man whose philosophy is summed up in this statement: “There was never any fear for me, no fear of failure. If I miss a shot, so what?”
His lack of fear came from knowing he had prepared himself for the task. “Now, if you know you haven’t prepared correctly, or you know you haven’t worked hard enough, that’s when other thoughts and emotions creep into your mind. That’s stress. That’s fear.
It’s the same process for doing anything, anywhere in life, no matter how big or small the stage. If you are confident you have done everything possible to prepare yourself, then there is nothing to fear.”
When Michael’s athletic career ended, he adapted. He evolved into a full-fledged businessman and entrepreneur. He is now pushing Brand Jordan into team motorcycle racing, hoping to be a leader in that field. Don’t bet against him.
Mackay’s Moral: All life is a transition game. Break fast, keep moving, and never stop learning.
Harvey Mackay is author of the New York Times best seller “Pushing the Envelope.” He can be reached through his Web site, www.mackay.com; or at Mackay Envelope Corp., 2100 Elm St., Minneapolis, MN 55414.
