People think I would never take on a team that has no legitimate chance to win a championship, This is one of the major misconceptions about me. Success can be measured in many different ways. . . . Either way, I would find the challenge invigorating.

Phil Jackson

Categorized in : Thinking Winning Team

Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the Me for the We.

Phil Jackson

basketball teamwork sports

The strength of the team lies within the individual. And the strength of the individual lies within the team

Phil Jackson

individual team lying

The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.

Phil Jackson

basketball motivational inspirational

You can't force your will on people. If you want them to act differently, you need to inspire them to change themselves

Phil Jackson

nba basketball people

Like life, basketball is messy and unpredictable. It has its way with you, no matter how hard you try to control it. The trick is to experience each moment with a clear mind and open heart. When you do that, the game - and life - will take care of itself.

Phil Jackson

basketball games heart

I won't coach this team next year if he is still here. He won't listen to anyone. I've had it with this kid.

Phil Jackson

team basketball kids

No one plays this or any game perfectly. It's the guy who recovers from his mistakes who wins.

Phil Jackson

mistake motivational sports

Before a vision (dream) can become a reality, it must be owned by every member of the group.

Phil Jackson

vision dream reality

Leadership is not about forcing your will on others. It's about mastering the art of letting go.

Phil Jackson

letting-go art

The most we can hope for is to create the best possible conditions for success, then let go of the outcome. The ride is a lot more fun that way.

Phil Jackson

outcomes letting-go fun

The sign of a great player is how much he elevates his colleagues' performance.

Phil Jackson

colleagues performances player

In basketball - as in life - true joy comes from being fully present in each and every moment, not just when things are going your way. Of course, it's no accident that things are more likely to go your way when you stop worrying about whether you're going to win or lose and focus your full attention on what's happening right this moment.

Phil Jackson

true-joy basketball winning

Coaching is about, "How do I get people to play at their peak level?" It is a spiritual quest. And if it's not that, you don't have a challenge, you don't have a mission. Forming a brotherhood and trying to move it forward - that's what coaching is.

Phil Jackson

spiritual play moving

Once you've done the mental work, there comes a point you have to throw yourself into the action and put your heart on the line. That means not only being brave, but being compassionate towards yourself, your teammates and your opponents.

Phil Jackson

basketball work heart

And yet as a coach, I know that being fixated on winning (or more likely, not losing) is counterproductive, especially when it causes you to lose control of your emotions. What’s more, obsessing about winning is a loser’s game: The most we can hope for is to create the best possible conditions for success, then let go of the outcome. The ride is a lot more fun that way.

Phil Jackson

winning letting-go fun

Winning is important to me, but what brings me real joy is the experience of being fully engaged in whatever I'm doing.

Phil Jackson

basketball real winning

Wisdom is always an overmatch for strength.

Phil Jackson

basketball inspiring sports

If you have a clear mind . . . you won't have to search for direction. Direction will come to you.

Phil Jackson

clear-minds clear mind

Basketball is a sport that involves the subtle interweaving of players at full speed to the point where they are thinking and moving as one.

Phil Jackson

basketball sports moving

He practiced against Kobe all of last year, so obviously it was sweet revenge for him. We deserved that. We didn't know who he was, we gave him up to Charlotte, we had no idea how good a player he was.

Phil Jackson

player revenge sweet