Phil Jackson was
amazing, he won championship and respect as a player and as a coach. In his
book 'Eleven Ring' he confess his loving to teaching and preparing
young man to become adults towards a path of Zen.
He's method was to
prepare his players by teaching them to be mindful. Mindful it's also been
mind-empty, it's liberating from anything else in your mind in order to live
the moment. It's not Carpe Diem neither YOLO. Mindful it's a stage of inner
peace that leads to a greater sensation or understanding of the present.
In he's book, Phil Jackson says that he didn't like 'to pump up' he's player before the games,
instead he likes to meditate prior a game. It's weird for me because I usually
try to pump up myself to a point where I'm desiring the game to start so I
could release all my energy. But the book it's not a Tip List but a testament
of great man evolving as a group toward greatness.
He's main teaching
about coaching, management and leadership it's that he didn't prepare his
athletes in a separated way, he tried to integrate all of them in the same
exercise and dynamics in order to developed teams rather than a group of good
players.
Tribal Stages
He believes that
teams were much like a tribe, and recalls the work of Dave Logan, John King and
Halee Fischer-Wright 'Tribal Leadership'.
This book was formulated after conducting extensive research on small to
midsize organization. The authors describe 5 stages in tribal (organization)
development (p.7):
Characteristic
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Stage 1
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The group of
people believes that everything sucks. They are on a dead alley. It's
characterized by despair and hostility.
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Stage 2
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An
aphetic group of people that belives that they are a
victims. This group realice that life doesn´t sucks, that it's just their lives.
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Stage 3
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People start
believing the mojo of "I'm Great (and you're not)" winning has
become something personal.
"They’ll outwork and outthink their
competitors on an individual basis. The mood that results is a collection of
‘lone warriors.’”
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Stage 4
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The lone warrior
it's over. Now "We're Great" it's a collective mojo that they think
that everyone else sucks but them. They are hunting for big challenges they
want to be alone in the top.
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Stage 5
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5— a rare stage
characterized by a sense of innocent wonder and the strong belief that “life
is great.” (See Bulls, Chicago, 1995– 98.)
|
This
five stages were Phil's compass to guide his teams. He needed to lead the team
toward each stage so they could achieve the final stage, when you believe
that's not a 'Me-His-Ours-Theirs game' it´s a
game and it´s life, it´s about wondering about everything, it´s just playing
basketball at it´s finnest and purest way. A Stage 5 team, empties their mind
from their rival (as nemesis or anthagonist) and from anyone else, not even
themselves.
Now take
a second to wonder where you are.
How it´s your family?
Your school?
Team?
Work?
… your life?
How you
feel about everything? You think you´re a victim? Are you apathetic? A Lone
Warrior? A Victorious Army or Just Happy and Fulfilled?
In
overall, I think I´m way behind of Stage 5, in overall, I´m trying to pass from
number 2 to number 3. Right now I definitely want to be GREAT! But I know that
would just be a Phase were I will not be happy. In the long term, I want just
to be myself. I think maturity and experienced give make you advanced from one
stage to another. Hopefully I'll make it.
Even
though there are 5 stages, they´re sequential one after the other, but as I
say, maybe it´s a maturity, experience and wisdom that help you made it trough
the Stages. If you´re lucky to be part of a number
five, learn and live as much as you can, you're living the dream.
Returning to the
book and Phil, he had a goal, try to assemble and direct a team in order to
become a team on Stage Five, because that's where the players would be really
fulfilled. Although, he won championships with the Bulls and the Lakers being
on Stage 4, but those team were GREAT until Stage 5.
His Three Principles
He's coaching style
and cannons came from the Buddhism and the Zen teachings of Shunryu Suzuki's 'Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind'. Before
looking out Phil's cannons, I want to bring a note of Suzuki's teaching:
“If your mind is
empty,” he writes, “it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything.
In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities; in the expert’s mind there
are few.”
Back to the Zen
teachings that became Jacksons cannons:
Giving Up Control:
“If you want to
obtain perfect calmness in your zazen, you should not be bothered by the
various images you find in your mind. Let them come and let them go. Then they
will be under control.”
Denis Rodman really
thought Phil to Give Up Control. He understood that Denis was a one of a kind
character. That will response negatively to control. He was like a wild horse
that can lead you anywhere you want but you must remember, it's not yours. Just
trust that he will be with you.
Trusting the Moment
Thich Nhat Hanh
talks about “dwelling happily in the present moment, because that’s where
everything you need is available". “Life can be found only in the present
moment,” he writes. “The past is gone, and the future is not yet here, and if
we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch
with life.”
Be aware of the
moment. Don't get bother be the past or the future. Don't think about what
happened or might happen next. This only distract you from the Now.
In several
basketball games, I got stocked in a bad play that happened at any time of the
game and I wanted to compensate my error, but I usually did worst, because I
couldn't stop thinking about the past and my errors. That fog my perception of
the now. With time I reduced that, but still sometimes I go back to my bad
habit.
Living with Compassion
Buddha said, “Just
as a mother would protect her only child at the risk of her own life, even so,
cultivate a boundless heart towards all beings. Let your thoughts of boundless
love pervade the whole world.”
I believe that
Buddha and Jesus (in the Last Supper) we're right, equally right. I think it's
important to cultivate ourselves trough our community (Friends, Family,
Girlfriend, Classmate, Teammates, etc.).
Phil's says that a
Phrase of Pema Chodron in her book 'Start Where You Are' was a
building block in his work as a coach:
“What you do for
yourself, you’re doing for others, and what you do for others, you’re doing for
yourself.”
Greatness and it's Ambassadors
Phil Jackson
knowledge and execution of the Zen principles are an example of management and
Leadershipt that they can be replied by anyone of us in our lives and our
organizations.
He's career is an
example of discipline and commitment. He says that what he loves the must of
being a coach was "… watching young men bond together and tap into the
magic that arises when they focus—with their whole heart and soul—on something
greater than themselves. Once you’ve experienced that, it’s something you never
forget."
I
think everyone at any time in our lives were part of something great, If it was
a Flashmob or a Championship Team, a Marathon Runner, a good relationship, a
travel adventure, a Mathlete, a Mass or a Wild Party. We all have friends and love ones whit whom we experienced the
greatness of being alive.
We should remember
this moments just for a second. Recall the hugh that make you happy, the medal
for which you work hard, the kiss that blows your mind or the song that you
dance as no one was watching. That achievement that made you feel great and
your willingness to always be that person is what makes you a Greatness'
Ambassador and for that I salute you!
Until the next time.
