In time of frustration, it’s crucial to continually identify why you are frustrated with your business and how to take the right action to fix the symptoms causing the frustration. There’s a really great mechanism to do this as we saw with Nike in the 1980’s – How Smart CEOs Solve the Right Problems – And Scale Faster – and something we can still learn from and apply in todays business world.
If you’ve already followed the guidance and wisdom of Nike, that’s great! You’ve done the hard part; you identified the real issue in your business, committed to the right action, and put systems in place to prevent the problem from coming back. But now comes the real test: staying committed while ensuring you don’t become blindsided by your own focus.
The Michael Jordan “F* Them Kids” Lesson
In the world of sports, no one embodied ruthless commitment to excellence more than Michael Jordan. During his playing days, he was known for an almost obsessive drive to win, outworking everyone, taking everything personally, and demanding the highest standards from those around him. If you have watched the Netflix documentary The Last Dance it’s a fascinating insight into the sheer drive he brought to everything he did and everyone around him, resulting in unparalleled success.
One of the most infamous moments capturing this attitude was the so-called “F* Them Kids” incident. Jordan, known for never backing down from competition, was asked by NBA star Chris Paul, who was running a kids summer basketball camp, to give a motivational talk to the attendees. Aged 53 at the time, Jordan was shooting some hoops while waiting to give the talk, when Paul challenged him to score a series of the most difficult three pointers; the deal? If he missed any, Jordan would give a free pair of Air Jordan’s to every kid in the camp. Jordan proceeded to sink every single shot, the crowd descended into stunned silence, and when asked why, Jordan’s immortal response was “F* Them Kids”. He was so utterly ingrained into winning that he could not see the crowd of disappointed kids nor the consequence of his drive in a completely uncompetitive environment.
The Lesson?
This moment highlights something crucial about commitment to the right actions: once you’ve identified the right action, distractions, no matter how appealing, can’t pull you away. Just like Michael Jordan had a singular focus on being the best, anything outside of your mission is now a non-priority.
However, there’s a flip side to this mindset. Being overly locked into a path without reviewing whether it still makes sense can be just as dangerous as being easily distracted.
Commitment vs. Rigidity – Striking the Right Balance
In business, just like in sport, there’s a risk of going too far in one direction. Hyper-focus can be powerful, but failing to adapt can make you obsolete. Consider these two types of business owners:
The Over-Adjuster: Constantly changes strategies based on short-term frustrations but never allows a system to take hold long enough to succeed. Former Chelsea Manager Claudio Ranieri was nicknamed the Tinkerman due to his continually changing lineups and tactics.
The Stubborn Executor: Identifies the right action and sticks to it, but doesn’t realise when external conditions have changed, making their approach ineffective. Arsene Wenger’s last decade at Arsenal is widely regarded as a tarnish on his reputation and a failure to adapt to how football and tactics had evolved and moved forward.
Both are flawed. So what is therefore the sweet spot? Staying committed to your course while continuously reviewing and refining your approach.
Building a System for Ongoing Review
Now that you’ve put the right actions in place, here’s how to ensure you keep improving without blindly following a path that may need adjusting:
1️⃣ Schedule a Quarterly “Frustration Audit”: Set aside time each month to check: Are the same problems creeping back? Are there new frustrations emerging?
2️⃣ Define Success Metrics: Track measurable indicators that prove your changes are working. Are cash flow, efficiency, or team performance actually improving?
3️⃣ Ask Yourself, ‘What’s Changed?’: The business landscape evolves. What worked 6 months ago might not be effective now. Have clients, competition, or industry trends shifted? Have macro factors come into play which now take precedence over former priorities.
4️⃣ Seek Outside Perspectives: Just like athletes need coaches, business owners need advisors, mentors, or even their own team to provide feedback on whether their strategy still makes sense.
“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”
~ Michael Jordan
Final Thoughts
The Takeaway – Stay Committed, But Stay Aware
Michael Jordan became the greatest because he never lost focus. Great athletes also evolve when necessary, adapting their games as they age, working on new skills, and even transition successfully into coaching, ownership and business.
The same applies to your business. Stay committed to your strategy, but build in review mechanisms that ensure you’re always playing the right game.
Your next step
Schedule a 30-minute “Frustration Audit” this week. Look at the last changes you made – are they delivering results, or is it time for a tweak?
“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.”
~ Michael Jordan
Let’s make it happen.
Author: Niall McGinnity, CEO @ Nuvem9
Main Image Credit: Photo by Markus Spiske
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