The BIGG Successs Show
Are You a Leader or the Leader
For some, bigg success comes when they're #2. Read our show summary at biggsuccess.com.
Welcome to The Big Success Show. Today we ask, are you a leader or the leader? The Big Success Show with George and Mary Lynn. Michael Jordan and Scotty Pipp are the duo that led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles. - Go Bulls! - That's right. We love the Bulls, especially those Bulls, right? - Yes. - No bull about them. - That's right, and I think they're generally regarded as one of the greatest teams in the history of professional basketball. They three-peded winning three NBA championships in a row in 1991, '92, and '93, something that hadn't been done for about 30 years, and after that incredible run, and because of the unfortunate death of his father, Michael Jordan stepped down from the game he loved. Now Scotty Pipp was the leader. The Bulls did well during the regular season, but they weren't able to win the big prize like they had the previous three years. In the spring of 1995, Michael Jordan announced he was coming out of retirement. The Bulls and their fans were elated, and perhaps no one was happier than Scotty Pipp. - The Bulls didn't win the prize that year, but they were fully ready by the next season when they won the first of three more titles in a row. The repeat three-pedes in 1996, '97, and '98. - Ah, glorious years. - Oh, where did they go? - I think those were payback for being a Cubs fan. - Yes. - Well, Scotty struggled at times as the leader, as number one, but he thrived when he could follow Michael's lead, and it just goes to show that sometimes it pays to be number two. - Scotty reached the height of his game again in those years. He became one of the greatest players in basketball history, and so there's three things to take away about leadership from today's discussion. - Number one, know your own strengths. You may be perfectly suited to top management, to be in a senior level executive, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you should be number one. - Number two, speaking of number two, know how you compliment other people on your team. By the way, we're talking about Michael Jordan and Scotty Pippen as if they were the team. - That's true. - Now, the Bulls did not become one of the greatest teams of all time just because of these two players. It was the whole team and the coach that accomplished this great feat. Michael and Scotty played off each other's strengths to bring each of their games to a whole new level. - And number three, realize that you may succeed at a higher level by being a follower than you can by being a leader. Scotty didn't win any championships without Michael. - But George, Michael didn't win any championships without Scotty either. - That's true. That's true. - Being number one doesn't mean being the only one. They were both successful on their own, but together they achieved big success. - That's right. And the thing I think, Mary Lynn, that this really points out is that sometimes the best way to ensure your own big success is to work with someone who's at a level that forces you to step up your game. And then what happens is both of you together become more successful than you could on your own. - I think that's kind of the way we work, George. - All right. It's good. - Glad I could be here for you. [laughter] - Well, thank you very much. - Actually, though, I want to challenge you on what you've been saying about Scotty Pippen being a follower. Get ready. That's coming up. - Today, we're talking about the dynamic duo, and it's not Batman and Robin. - Holy vacuum cleaners. - It's Michael Jordan, Scotty Pippen in the Chicago Bulls, who together won six NBA finals. And Mary Lynn, you said you wanted to challenge me, so bring it on. - All right. Here we go. - Okay. - What have you been saying that Scotty Pippen-- - What many paces do we have to take? - Stand back. Draw. All right. Well, you've been saying Scotty Pippen was number two, and that in essence he followed Michael Jordan's lead, okay? But I believe that even with Michael around, Scotty was a leader. And because of that, Michael was able to do as well as he did. - Well, I guess I wouldn't disagree with you on that. I think you are all right that Scotty also brought out the best in Michael, but I will tell you this. I remember watching Scotty the year Michael wasn't there, and he just wasn't his same old self. His demeanor was different. He didn't seem to be so focused. When Michael came back, I remember actually Michael saying that Scotty was the best player of professional basketball that year. - All right. So what you're saying is that Michael lifted some of that weight of being the leader off of Scotty's shoulder so that he could just focus on being what he was best at. - That's absolutely right, Maryland. So the thing is, we're not saying you shouldn't be a leader. You can be a leader, but some people are better off not being the leader. Know yourself well enough to know which role you're better off playing. - All right. I'll let you off the hook, George. - Thank you. I'd like to be a part of your team and compliment your strengths. Subscribe to Big Success or just visit us daily at BigSuccess.com. It's also where we have a written summary of today's show, and let's get our big quote for the day. - Our big quote today is one of my favorites, Maryland. Donald H. McGannan said, "Leadership is action, not position." So no matter what your number is in your organization, take action to be a leader. - Next time we'll talk about how to get from where you are to where you want to be. Sounds like a slam dunk show to me. - Unless I fail you. - Until then, here's to your big success. - Yeah! [MUSIC PLAYING] You