Michael Jordan’s Favourite Part of Basketball Wasn’t What You Think: Here’s What Leaders Can Learn From It

Putting On a Show

When I was working in Indonesia, we really wanted to understand the everyday realities our teams were facing. What was getting in their way? What was working? What needed to change?

But here was the problem: every time the leadership team visited, it turned into a show.

And I don’t mean figuratively. I mean literally: red carpets were rolled out at retail locations. People got wind of our arrival, and the usual rhythms of the day disappeared into a whirlwind of preparation and polish.

We once tried to pull off a surprise visit. Planned it for weeks. Showed up unannounced. And still… the “surprise” was staged. Someone had tipped them off. The stores looked flawless. Everyone had their best smiles on. But we didn’t get the real story. We got the show.

That experience stuck with me, and still does. Because it made me think about what kind of culture we had created. One where people felt like they had to perform for leadership. Where “truth” only lived in boardrooms or decks, not on the ground.  That was on us as leaders.

Somehow they were missing that we genuinely did want to know what their real challenges were, because that was the only way we could help make things better. But sometimes culture hangs around longer than intention. Even when the winds have started shifting at the top, it can take much longer for that change to reach the people on the front lines.

What Michael Jordon loved most about basketball

It reminded me of a story I read recently about Michael Jordan. When someone asked him what he loved most about basketball, he didn’t say winning. He didn’t say game day. He said practice.

Why?

Because practice was pure. No fans, no pressure, no lights. Just the game. Just “Mike.” Practice wasn’t about putting on a show. It was about becoming: getting better, connecting with teammates, being present. And because of that, when the real game came, there was no difference. He didn’t have to perform. He just showed up as himself.

That’s the kind of culture we should want to build. Where people don’t have to perform. Where game day feels like practice because the alignment is already there. Where your best version isn’t reserved for presentations or when the boss shows up; it’s just who you are, every day.

So the real question is: how do we build those kinds of environments? Ones that don’t require red carpets, but instead create resonance and trust?

7 Ways to Build a Culture Where No One Has to “Put on a Show”

1. Make Practice the Norm, Not a Special Event
Don’t wait for a big meeting or crisis to get real. Treat the everyday stuff like it matters, because it does. That’s where trust is built.

2. Share the Why (Not Just the Work)
People don’t just want tasks. They want meaning. If they don’t know why it matters, don’t be surprised when it feels like they’re just going through the motions.

3. Kill the Corporate Speak
If you say “we value transparency” but everything sounds like it came from Legal... people stop listening. Say what you mean. Then back it up.

4. Show Up Real, Especially at the Top
If you walk in pretending to have it all figured out, so will everyone else. But when you show up open, curious, and real, that’s when your team starts doing the same.

5. Don’t Just Keep the Peace, Get to the Truth
Avoiding hard conversations might feel nice, but it kills momentum. Teams grow when it’s safe to say “This isn’t working.”

6. Communication Isn’t a Cascade
Forget trickle-down communication. The best cultures listen up. Ask. Listen. Act like it matters, because it does.

7. Trust Comes From What You Do Every Day
Trust doesn’t show up overnight: it’s built in the boring, consistent stuff. How you act when no one’s watching. How you respond when things go sideways. That’s what people remember.

Final Thought

The reason that story about Michael Jordan hit me is because I’ve felt it before.

I remember being part of a team that was building something brand new. There was no playbook. Every day felt like uncharted territory, and that was the magic. It felt like practice in the best way: fresh, focused, real. We had to show up curious. We had to be honest with each other. We had to admit what we didn’t know and lift each other up to figure it out.

There wasn’t room for ego or politics. We weren’t trying to “look good”, we were trying to get it right.

That’s the kind of culture I want to be part of; the kind where you don’t have to gear up to impress anyone. You just show up, because that’s how the team works. Honest. Aligned. Focused on what matters.

And when that’s the norm? You don’t need a “game face.” You’re already in the game.

Want That Feeling Back, But Know Something’s Off?

That kind of energy—where people are in sync, honest, and pulling in the same direction—it can exist. But it doesn’t happen just because you wrote down some values in a slide deck.

That’s what BrandTruth Alignment is built to uncover:
Where things feel off. Where the disconnects live. And how to bring your culture, leadership, and brand back into alignment so people don’t have to guess what matters, they feel it in how things actually run.

If you're showing up every day thinking, “This isn’t how it’s supposed to feel”…

Let’s fix that.

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