#213 Michael Jordan: Driven From Within

Michael Jordan's relentless determination and work ethic, honed from his early days in Wilmington through his NBA career and beyond, are central themes in "Driven From Within," co-authored by Jordan and Mark Vancel. The book delves into Jordan's philosophy of excellence, his practice regimen, and the invaluable lessons from mentors like his high school coach and Dean Smith. It highlights how his competitive spirit and focus on fundamentals translated into success both on and off the court, including the creation of the Jordan Brand. Jordan's story is a testament to the power of inner drive and the importance of living in the moment.

• Michael Jordan attributes his success to his internal drive and the guidance he received from mentors.
• His skills, work ethic, philosophy, personal style, competitiveness, and presence have influenced every aspect of his life.
• The book "Driven from Within" explores the power of collaboration, teamwork, and the energy generated by combining creativity and passion.

"His relentless determination produced six NBA championships and some of the most spectacular performances in sports history."

• Reflects Jordan's incredible achievements and determination.

"Michael makes it clear that the basis for his phenomenal success came from the inside out."

• Emphasizes the importance of internal motivation and personal drive.

• Michael Jordan's business acumen has led to the success of Brand Jordan, which has grown significantly over the years.
• The book discusses the process and values that led to the success of Brand Jordan.

"Michael's 20th Air Jordan Shoe has helped push Nike's brand Jordan division to nearly $500 million in sales."

• Highlights the financial success of Brand Jordan.

"Looking back isn't about celebrating the results as much as it is about understanding the process that produced those results."

• Focuses on the importance of the process and values behind success.

• Jordan's dedication to practice is a recurring theme, emphasizing the importance of hard work and preparation.
• He believes that great leaders lead by example and that hard work in practice translates to success in games.

"Players who practice hard when no one is paying attention will play well when everyone is watching."

• Stresses the importance of hard work and dedication in practice.

"I practiced hard every day because I wanted every one of my teammates to know what I expected out of myself."

• Demonstrates Jordan's leadership style and commitment to excellence.

• Jordan has always set his own standards and followed his instincts, rather than trying to meet others' expectations.
• He believes in leading with action and staying true to his values.

"My standards have always been mine alone. I've never tried to live up to the expectations of others."

• Emphasizes the importance of self-motivation and personal standards.

"I've always believed in leading with action, not words."

• Highlights Jordan's belief in leading by example.

• Jordan has always been driven by a desire to prove himself and improve his skills.
• He never felt the need to rest on his accomplishments and constantly sought new challenges.

"When we won one championship, I wanted to win two in a row. When we won two, I wanted to win three in a row."

• Illustrates Jordan's relentless pursuit of excellence.

"Nothing of value comes without being earned."

• Stresses the importance of hard work and earning success.

• Jordan's high school coach, Coach Herring, played a significant role in his development and instilled in him a strong work ethic.
• His father's opinion and expectations also motivated him to prove himself.

"Coach Herring was the first one to see in me what I saw in myself."

• Highlights the importance of mentorship in Jordan's development.

"He didn't think I'd amount to anything because I had no hand skills, no mechanical skills."

• Reflects the initial doubts and challenges Jordan faced from his father.

• Jordan's work ethic is well-known, but he emphasizes that what appeared to be hard work to others was simply playing for him.
• He enjoyed the process of improving and playing, which drove his dedication.

"People talk about my work ethics as a player, but they don't understand. What appeared to be hard work to others was simply playing for me."

• Explains how Jordan's passion for the game made his hard work feel like play.

"We were playing a game. Why not play as hard as you can?"

• Highlights Jordan's mindset of giving his best effort in everything he does.

• Jordan was surprisingly financially conservative, driven by a fear of having to get a regular job.
• He focused on achievement, knowing that financial rewards would follow.

"I never felt like I deserved to drive a Bentley when I got my first contract or live in a mansion."

• Reflects Jordan's financial conservatism and focus on achievement.

"I was terrified at the idea of ever having to get an actual job."

• Explains the motivation behind Jordan's financial conservatism.

• Jordan believes that great leaders lead by example and that respect must be earned through actions.
• He felt a responsibility to give his best effort because he was serving others, such as fans who paid to watch him play.

"You can't demand respect because of a title or position and then expect people to follow you."

• Emphasizes the importance of earning respect through actions.

"I have an obligation because I'm serving other people to go out and give my best effort."

• Highlights Jordan's sense of responsibility to his fans and others.

• Jordan started with low expectations and gradually built his confidence by achieving small goals.
• He focused on fundamentals and constantly set new targets to improve.

"My expectations are very low. I wanted to be the best player at the park in Wilmington."

• Reflects Jordan's initial low expectations and gradual confidence-building.

"Make the varsity team in high school, impress the coach, get a four-year scholarship to a major college."

• Illustrates Jordan's progression of setting and achieving goals to build confidence.

• Jordan’s journey from college to the NBA was marked by a continuous quest for improvement and championships.
• His college coach, Dean Smith, instilled a philosophy of excellence in every phase of the game.
• Jordan’s high school coach lied to get him into a five-star basketball camp, which significantly boosted his confidence and skills.

"With each progression, I gain confidence."

• This quote highlights Jordan's growing self-assurance with each achievement.

"Coach Dean Smith's system wasn't about excelling at one phase of the game. He was about excellence in every phase of the game, scoring, rebounding, passing, playing defense."

• This illustrates the comprehensive approach to excellence that Jordan adopted.

"I was full of energy. After that second week, I thought I must be doing something right. All I wanted to do was to improve, to keep getting better."

• This quote shows Jordan’s insatiable desire to improve and his realization of his potential after the camp.

• Jordan’s practice habits were unparalleled, setting him apart from his peers.
• His commitment to preparation, effort, and education was a constant theme in his career.

"His practice habits were unmatched. And so that's an easy, you know, that's the idea that he repeats over and over again."

• This emphasizes Jordan’s extraordinary dedication to practice.

"No one is going to prepare more than me. No one is going to practice more than me."

• This quote underscores Jordan’s commitment to being the best through relentless preparation.

• Jordan’s dedication to the game was uncompromised, focusing on improvement and commitment over rewards.
• He emphasized the importance of focusing on the right things and maintaining a constant level of commitment.

"You have to be uncompromised in your level of commitment to whatever you are doing, or it can disappear as fast as it appeared."

• This quote highlights the necessity of unwavering commitment to sustain success.

"Commitment cannot be compromised by rewards. Excellence isn't a one-week or one-year ideal. It's a constant."

• Jordan stresses that true excellence is a continuous pursuit, not a temporary achievement.

• Jordan almost left Nike to start his own company but used the opportunity to gain more control and equity within Nike.
• His financial conservatism and strategic decision-making were influenced by his advisors and personal values.

"Nike put a big deal on the table that expanded our line, gave me more creative control and approval rights within Nike."

• This quote shows how Jordan negotiated better terms with Nike instead of leaving.

"I've always been very conservative financially. That came from my advisors, and I listened to them because I was scared."

• This illustrates Jordan’s cautious approach to financial matters.

• Jordan sought advice from successful people like Warren Buffett, valuing their decision-making processes.
• He relied on his gut feelings for making decisions, similar to Buffett.

"I asked him about his decision-making process. What do you think? What do you think about when you're making your decisions? What is your thought process? And he says, whatever my gut tells me, that's what I do."

• This quote shows the importance Jordan placed on intuition and gut feelings in decision-making.

"It's still amazing to me that given the decisions Warren Buffett makes and the money that transfers with those decisions, that he still goes with his gut."

• This highlights Jordan’s admiration for Buffett’s intuitive decision-making process.

• Jordan emphasized the importance of focus and maintaining high standards of excellence.
• His leadership style was demanding, expecting the same level of commitment from his teammates as he had for himself.

"I'm very secure in my ability to focus on what I want. If I have a goal, no one is going to deter me from what I want to do."

• This quote underscores Jordan’s unwavering focus on his goals.

"I knew what it took to come from where we were in 1984. I had put it on the line and I had earned the right to let my teammates know what I expected of them."

• This illustrates Jordan’s leadership and the high standards he set for his team.

• Jordan's success was not only due to physical preparation but also mental strength and mindset management.
• He maintained his motivation and effort regardless of external circumstances, such as audience size.

"A lot of what Jordan has to say, and he says this in interviews, too, is about managing your mind and this mindset."

• This highlights the importance of mental strength in Jordan’s approach to the game.

"I was playing when Chicago Stadium was half empty and my effort was exactly the same."

• This quote shows Jordan’s consistent effort and motivation, irrespective of external factors.

• Michael Jordan's philosophy emphasizes living in the present moment and not worrying about future events.
• He applied this mindset consistently throughout his career and life, from playing with the Bulls to managing his brand.
• Jordan believes that worrying about future events compromises the enjoyment and effectiveness of the present.

"I want to go through a day or a week not worrying about what I have to do on Wednesday or Thursday because I won't then enjoy Monday."

• Jordan stresses the importance of focusing on the current moment to fully appreciate and engage with it.

"It's the moment, man. Live in the moment. We're enjoying this now. We'll worry about that in October."

• This philosophy is reflected in how children live, being fully engaged in the present.

"If I'm worried about what's happening on Wednesday and Thursday, that means I can't enjoy Monday. And I have limited Mondays left."

• Jordan recognizes the finite nature of life and the importance of savoring each day.

• Jordan and Kobe Bryant both emphasize the importance of internal expectations over external ones.
• They believe that one's own expectations should always be higher than those imposed by others.

"The expectations will never be higher than my own."

• Kobe Bryant's response to external expectations highlights the importance of self-driven standards.

"I wasn't limited by someone else's view of how my dreams should look or whether they were reasonable or not."

• Jordan stresses the significance of following one's own dreams and not being constrained by others' perceptions.

• Achieving dreams requires effort, determination, passion, and staying true to oneself.
• Jordan advocates for putting in the work and then letting the future unfold naturally.

"Dreams are realized by effort, determination, passion, and staying connected to that sense of who you are."

• Jordan emphasizes that success comes from hard work and perseverance, not from luck or passive waiting.

"If you put forth the work, then what are you afraid of?"

• Jordan's confidence in his skills stems from the effort he has invested in developing them.

"Limits, like fears, are often just an illusion."

• Jordan believes that perceived limitations are often self-imposed and can be overcome with the right mindset.

• Jordan's extreme mindset focuses on the necessity of paying the price to win.
• He believes in playing through pain and not showing weakness to opponents.

"Show that you can stand up to whatever they have to give. Let them know it's not affecting you, and they won't do it again."

• Jordan's approach to leadership involves setting high standards and expecting others to meet them.

"A leader has to be willing to sacrifice to help everyone else get to where they need to go, where the team needs to go."

• Jordan's dedication to his team is evident in his refusal to take days off and his insistence that others do the same.

"We are not going to drop down to yours. I apply that standard to whatever I do."

• Jordan's standards extend beyond basketball to all aspects of his life.

• Jordan values authenticity and staying true to oneself over conforming to others' expectations.
• He believes in the importance of hard work and avoiding shortcuts.

"Authenticity is about being true to who you are. Even when everyone else wants you to be someone else."

• Jordan argues that true success comes from being the best version of oneself, not imitating others.

"We have become a shortcut culture to a certain degree, we define success on the basis of fictional attributes."

• Jordan criticizes the superficial measures of success and emphasizes the importance of genuine achievement.

• Jordan's competitive drive is evident in his approach to practice and competition, even during the Olympics.
• He values practice as much as actual games and sees it as essential to success.

"I wanted to see what those guys are all about. That was my motivation going to the Olympic games in 1992."

• Jordan's motivation to compete and observe other top players highlights his relentless pursuit of excellence.

"They were deceiving themselves about what the game required."

• Jordan's critique of his Olympic teammates' practice habits underscores his belief in the importance of hard work and preparation.

• Jordan is described as being ruthlessly efficient and hyper-competent in his approach to basketball and life.
• This efficiency is a key component of his success and mindset.

"He's just deadly, coolly efficient."

• Tinker Hatfield's description of Jordan emphasizes his precision and effectiveness.

"I focus on the little things. Little things add up to big things."

• Jordan's attention to detail is a fundamental aspect of his approach to success.

• Jordan's commitment to his brand is exemplified in his reaction to a friend's divided loyalty between Puma and Nike.
• He demands complete allegiance to Nike, reflecting his all-or-nothing mentality.

"He literally took a butcher knife to it all. When he's done, he picks up every little scrap and walks it down to the dumpster."

• Jordan's drastic action to eliminate Puma products from his friend's closet demonstrates his uncompromising dedication to his brand.

• Michael Jordan's philosophies on living in the moment, self-expectations, effort, leadership, authenticity, and competition provide valuable lessons in achieving success.
• His extreme mindset and ruthless efficiency set him apart as an exceptional individual in both sports and life.

• Michael Jordan expresses his strongest passion is the Jordan brand over other ventures like owning an NBA team.
• He finds greater impact and personal connection with the Jordan brand, considering it part of his DNA.

"Of all the things I'm involved with, my strongest passion is the Jordan brand because I can impact that in a much greater sense than owning an NBA team."

• Jordan emphasizes his continuous interaction with the consumer and the non-seasonal dependency of the brand's success.

"To be able to continually talk to that consumer, to interact with that consumer, it's not dependent on how the season ends."

• Jordan's transition to baseball showcased his relentless work ethic, starting early and practicing rigorously.
• His dedication involved enduring physical pain without complaint, demonstrating his commitment and resilience.

"He would get up every morning and go to the complex before, way ahead of the other players. He'd get into the batting cage, swing the bat, and knock around the ball."

• Jordan's routine included practicing beyond scheduled team practices, showing his extraordinary dedication.

"His hands were so raw that the calluses would rip open every day. The trainers would wrap his hands in gauze and tape. He looked like a prizefighter."

• Jordan learned from his parents to turn negatives into positives, a principle he applied throughout his life.
• His famous Nike commercial highlights his failures and how they contributed to his success.

"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed."

• Jordan believes in embracing failures as essential steps towards success and happiness.

"To win you have to lose. To be successful you have to have something that wasn't successful. To be happy you have to have disappointment."

• Jordan emphasizes the importance of controlling the mind to overcome self-imposed limitations and achieve goals.
• The mind can be an obstacle, but it can be managed through mental discipline.

"The mind will play tricks on you. The mind was telling you that you couldn't go any further. The mind was telling you how much it hurt. The mind was telling you these things to keep you from reaching your goal."

• Work ethic is crucial in eliminating fear and stress, as preparation builds confidence and reduces anxiety.

"Work ethic eliminates fear. If you are confident that you have done everything possible to prepare yourself, then there is nothing to fear."

• Jordan's belief in the power of practice is fundamental to his approach to success.
• He equates preparation with confidence and the elimination of stress and fear.

"At that moment, you are the sum total of all the work you have put in, nothing more and nothing less."

• He stresses that confidence in one's skills comes from knowing one has prepared thoroughly.

"I have total confidence in my skill, so I am not afraid."

• Jordan highlights the significance of mental toughness and having control over one's mind.
• Many athletes have physical abilities but lack the mental strength and confidence to perform at high levels.

"A lot of people can run and jump and shoot, but they don't have the killer instinct and the confidence in themselves to perform those skills."

• He was influenced by Zen Buddhism, learning to live in the moment and allowing things to happen naturally.

"I want to allow whatever is going to happen to happen at its own rhythm."

• Jordan's motivation stemmed from the desire to impress and entertain people, especially those seeing him for the first time.
• He developed techniques to maintain motivation, even after achieving numerous accolades.

"You got to trick your mind. You got to play games with yourself. I had to find a test within the test."

• He emphasizes the need to continually find ways to stay motivated and ready to perform at a high level.

"I look at these kids today and they don't know how to trick themselves."

• Jordan held himself and others to high standards, believing in the importance of demonstrating excellence through personal example.
• He pushed teammates to strive for excellence, reflecting his own relentless pursuit of success.

"My competitive drive is far greater than anyone else I've ever met. We have a goal, a vision to obtain. Sometimes you have to do it when you're tired."

• Jordan's actions, such as playing through injuries, served as a powerful example for others.

"Michael had a back spasm one day, and we literally had to carry him off the floor and drive him home, drive him home in the bed of a truck because he couldn't move."

• Jordan acknowledges that success comes with a price, requiring accountability and a willingness to pay that price.
• He emphasizes that everything, including success, has a cost associated with it.

"If you love something and your goal is to be successful, there's a certain price you have to pay. There's a certain accountability you have to hold."

• Jordan reflects on the profound impact of personal relationships, particularly with his father.
• He emphasizes the lasting influence of these relationships on one's life and actions.

"I had him for 32 years. I never look at it from a negative sense. I think about him practically every day."

• His ability to process and find positive aspects in negative experiences highlights his mental resilience.

"I got a relish in the fact that I did have him for that long, for that period of time. I wanted more, but I didn't. I don't get control of that."

• Jordan draws parallels between building a successful team in sports and in business, emphasizing collaboration and shared credit.
• He values creative input from others and believes in the collective effort for achieving success.

"We bring our personalities, our visions, and our creativity to discussion. We don't give a damn about getting credit. We are there to create something beautiful."

• Listening is highlighted as a crucial skill for success in both sports and business.

"Successful people listen. Those who don't listen don't survive."

• Jordan stresses the importance of staying connected to the present moment and not making assumptions about the future.
• He believes that focusing on the now prevents mistakes and maximizes potential outcomes.

"Once you make assumptions about something that might happen or might not happen, then you open up the possibility of making mistakes."

• Jordan's approach to life is rooted in dealing with what is happening right now, maintaining a clear focus on the present.

"I know what I know and I deal with my life based on what's happening right now."

These notes encapsulate the core themes and detailed insights from the transcript, providing a comprehensive overview of Michael Jordan's philosophies and approaches to success, work ethic, mental toughness, and personal relationships.