“Earn your leadership every day.” Michael Jordan
Some documentaries entertain.
And some expose truth.
The Last Dance does the latter.
It pulls back the curtain on Michael Jordan.
Not the highlight-reel version.
The standard-setting, borderline psychotic, relentlessly demanding leader behind six championships.
Watching it, one thing becomes clear.
High performance has a cost.
And it always has.
Jordan’s obsession with winning wasn’t casual.
It wasn’t polite.
And it certainly wasn’t comfortable.
He demanded excellence.
Every day.
From himself. From everyone.
Not because he enjoyed conflict – but because he despised mediocrity.
It’s the GOAT mentality.
Standards Feel Like Pressure to Those Without Them
In today’s PC climate, Jordan’s leadership style is often reframed as bullying.
That’s an easy label.
And a lazy one.
He challenged teammates publicly.
He held them accountable brutally.
He refused to lower the bar for anyone.
That made some uncomfortable.
But discomfort is not abuse.
It’s often the by-product of growth.
High standards always feel confrontational to people who sidestep accountability.
Jordan wasn’t trying to be liked.
He was trying to win.
And he understood something many leaders avoid today:
If the standard drops once, it becomes permission forever.
Obsession Is the Price of Excellence
Jordan was obsessive.
Unapologetically so.
He trained harder.
Prepared longer.
Held grudges that fuelled performance.
Turned slights – real or imagined – into competitive advantage.
Was it extreme?
Yes.
Was it necessary?
Also yes.
You don’t accidentally become the benchmark for an entire sport.
You don’t build dynasties with balance and consensus.
Elite performance is never democratic.
What real estate leaders can take from it
Real estate loves the language of high performance.
Few are willing to live it to this level.
We celebrate results.
But recoil at consistency.
We want growth.
But resent accountability.
We say we want elite-level outcomes – until leadership actually demands elite behaviour.
Jordan’s lesson is confronting for a big chunk of this industry. Starting with me.
High performance cultures are not soft.
They are clear.
They don’t negotiate standards based on feelings.
They protect them.
They don’t lower expectations to preserve comfort.
They raise people to meet them – or move on.
And yes, that will offend some.
But offence is not a leadership metric.
Leadership Isn’t About Being Liked
Jordan didn’t lead to be admired in the moment.
He led to win.
And years later, even his harshest critics admit the truth:
They are proud (and thankful) of what they became under that pressure.
That’s the paradox modern leadership struggles with.
The very behaviours that create excellence are often misunderstood by those who’ve never experienced it.
The Real Question
The question isn’t whether Jordan’s style would survive today.
The question is whether today’s teams would. In sports. In business.
High performance requires edge.
Clarity.
And the courage to be misunderstood.
Because culture isn’t built in the comfort zone.
It’s built on standards – relentlessly upheld.
Like Mike.
Discover more from Richie Lewis | High Performance Culture in Real Estate
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