The Chicago Bulls teams of the 90’s only achieved their full championship potential through the exceptional coaching of Phil Jackson. Two things stand out when studying Jackson’s approach: his strategic genius and extraordinary empathy.

Originally published in Forbes - June 2020

As the finale of the ESPN docuseries The Last Dance reminds fans about the superhuman abilities of Michael Jordan, many viewers are also noting the influence coach Phil Jackson had on MJ and his teammates. Only after they hired Jackson were the Chicago Bulls able to win their "three-peat" championships, securing the team's legacy in the annals of sports history.

There are lots of ways to describe Jackson's greatness as a coach. Two things stand out: his strategic genius and his extraordinary empathy.

Before Jackson became head coach of the Bulls, Michael Jordan was already the best player in the NBA and the leader of his team. Their offense was centered around Jordan. His teammates constantly deferred to him. With that strategy, opposing defenses focused on Jordan, and as a result, the best that Jordan and the Bulls could do was reach the Conference Finals.

Enter head coach Phil Jackson. When he arrived, Jackson was keenly aware that the team's strategy needed to change. Rather than designing an offense around the best player, he insisted on designing the offense to get the best from every player. When Jordan was asked by his new coach whether he wanted a lifetime of MVPs or to win a championship ring, it was exactly the right question to help reframe what their goal really was. Jackson was guiding Jordan away from being the best player to being part of the best team.

Jackson also displayed extraordinary empathy. He was a master at understanding what each player needed to be their best. Not that he was soft — in fact, he was far from it. He was simply tuned in to what his team (individually and collectively) was thinking and feeling. He spoke to them in ways they could hear. He famously understood the human side of his individual players. From letting Jordan and others golf to relieve pre-game stress, to greenlighting a "quick trip" to Vegas for Dennis Rodman, he recognized his athletes as more than just accumulators of points, rebounds and assists.

“I’ve learned from my experience in coaching leaders that Jackson’s approach of leading with empathy and strategy is the best way to help others grow and increase their performance quickly.”

— Chris "Mitch" Mitchell

Jackson persisted in connecting to their humanity while simultaneously redirecting his players around a new, whole-team strategy. The results speak for themselves. As six-time champions, the 1990s Bulls go down in history as one of the most dominant teams in sports history. Jackson went on to win another five championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, leading again with empathy and strategy as his touchstones.

As organizations and leaders are often enamored with all-things sports — using athletic terminology and metaphors for business audiences — many of them miss the significance and power of coaching their teams. Instead, they will often become overly focused on the concept of finding and retaining raw talent ("A" players). But they often miss how great coaching can impact and accelerate the company's success.

It's impossible to know what Michael Jordan's career might have been without Jackson or what Jackson's would have been without Jordan. Together, though, they were both able to repeatedly break through and set a new bar for greatness in basketball. A lesson for all organizations looking to "win" more is to pay attention to both their corporate athletes and how they're being coached.

I've learned from my experience in coaching leaders that Jackson's approach of leading with empathy and strategy is the best way to help others grow and increase their performance quickly. When leaders realize this, and take this approach with their own teams, the odds of helping their business reach "championship" levels of success increase dramatically.

This original article can be viewed via Forbes at: https://bit.ly/3eRDDaT