Michael Jordan had two major turning points during his life. His game-winning shot for the University of North Carolina to win the National Championship versus Georgetown in 1982 placed him into the national spotlight. The second turning point in Jordan’s life was the murder of his father in 1993. It was the first time in Jordan’s life he was without his father during his basketball career. The murder of James Jordan was one of the major reasons why Michael Jordan retired from the game of basketball in 1993.
Michael Jordan experienced failure by not beating the Detroit Pistons in the NBA playoffs for three consecutive seasons from 1987 to 1990. He led the NBA in scoring each of those seasons. Detroit instituted the “Jordan Rules” against the Chicago Bulls in the playoffs. The “Jordan Rules” were a series of double and triple teams of Jordan which prevented him from scoring. Jordan’s failure to beat the Pistons forced him to realize he needed to pass the ball and trust his teammates to score. His past three failures against the Detroit Pistons, new pass first score later mentality, and a fresh trust in his teammates would help lead the Chicago Bulls to sweep the Pistons in four games during the 1991 NBA Playoffs. Jordan and the Chicago Bulls would go on to win its first of three straight NBA championships later that year.
Works Cited
Jordan, M. (1998). For the Love of the Game: My Story. Chicago, IL: Crown Publishers, INC.
Halberstam, D. (2000). Playing for Keeps. New York, NY: Random House.
Jordan, M. (2005). Driven From Within. New York, NY: Atria Books.
Jordan, M. (1994). I Can't Accept Not Trying. San Francisco, CA:Harper Collins Publishers.
Michael Jordan could also be classified as a “promoter.” Many athletes are gifted, but Michael Jordan seems to be the spokesperson for many companies. I think his warm and friendly manner that characterizes a promoter is part of what has led to his marketing success. A promoter is also out front and forceful and that is exactly what he does on the basketball court. His imagination and creativity have helped his game and his business dealings.
ReplyDeleteI think he could also be classified as a “controller” because of his strong desire to win. His competitiveness and ability to quickly respond allowed him to trust in his teammate’s abilities. The murder of his father was something out of his control and had a major impact on his life. His strong will has given him the ability to bounce back from such a devastating loss.
It is interesting to look at how leaders react to setbacks. As you noted, “. . .the Chicago Bulls were beaten by the Detroit Pistons in the NBA playoffs for three consecutive seasons,” and Jordan then changed his style of play. Building upon teamwork, the Chicago Bulls went on to win the first of three NBA championships.
ReplyDeleteWhen Jobs was about to begin the Macintosh venture, he too realized the importance of employee bonding. Wozniak had been given so much credit for Apple II’s genius of design that Jobs felt he had something to prove. Using atypical corporate strategies, Jobs first took the “Mac” employees on retreat, moved them to a building separate from “Apple”, and in what has become folklore, he raised a pirate flag outside their building. Both Jordan and Jobs have demonstrated the importance of team building and changing course.
thank you strangers :)
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