Love-of-the-Game Leadership
A recent Inc.com article exploring Michael Jordan's enduring love of basketball offers a masterclass in sustainable excellence that every leader should take time to consider.
We've all heard the old saying: "Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life." It's a nice sentiment, but the reality is more nuanced. Even when I'm doing what I genuinely love (coaching leaders and facilitating transformative learning experiences), it's still work. The difference is that it's work that energizes rather than depletes me. It's challenging, demanding, and requires constant growth, but it's also deeply fulfilling.
The Love-of-the-Game Principle
What made Jordan one of the greatest basketball players of all time wasn't just his natural talent or relentless work ethic. It was his fundamental love of the game itself. Even at the peak of his career, with championships and accolades piling up, Jordan was still the guy who wanted to practice, to compete, to play. That intrinsic motivation (that genuine joy in the craft) is what separated him from other talented athletes.
The same principle applies to leadership and organizational excellence. When we tap into what we genuinely love about our work, we unlock a different level of performance. We're not just grinding through tasks or checking boxes; we're engaging with our craft in a way that naturally drives mastery.
Jordan's reflection on this principle raises three questions that cut to the heart of sustainable high performance:
1. "What aspects of my work do I really love? The things I’d do for free?"
This question requires radical honesty. Not what you should love, or what looks good on paper, but what actually lights you up. For some leaders, it's strategic thinking and problem-solving. For others, it's developing talent or building relationships. For me, it's those moments when I see a concept click for someone: when a leader suddenly sees their situation from a new angle and realizes they have more options than they thought.
Take time to identify these elements in your own work. What parts of your role make time disappear? What would you do even if no one was watching or evaluating your performance?
2. "How can I practice those things as much as possible?"
Once you've identified what you love, the next question is about intentional design. How do you structure your role, your schedule, and your priorities to maximize engagement with these elements?
This doesn't mean abandoning necessary tasks that don't bring joy. Leadership includes plenty of those. But it does mean being strategic about where you invest your prime energy and how you architect your work. Can you delegate some responsibilities to create more space for the work you love? Can you reframe certain tasks to connect them more directly to what energizes you?
Jordan didn't just show up for games. He practiced. Daily. With intensity. He found ways to stay in love with the fundamentals, even when he'd mastered them, because the practice itself brought him joy.
3. "How can I further leverage that love to master my craft?"
This is where passion becomes excellence. When you love what you do, you're willing to pursue mastery, not because someone is measuring you, but because the pursuit itself is rewarding. You read more, you seek feedback, you experiment with new approaches, you study others who excel in your field.
This intrinsic motivation creates a virtuous cycle. The more you practice what you love, the better you become. The better you become, the more impact you create. The more impact you create, the more you love the work.
Leading Through Love of the Game
These aren't just individual reflection questions. They're powerful tools for team development as well. When was the last time you asked your team members what aspects of their work they genuinely love? When did you last help someone redesign their role to align more closely with their natural enthusiasms and strengths?
Great leaders create environments where people can connect with what they love about their work. They pay attention to what energizes each team member and look for opportunities to amplify those elements. They celebrate mastery and create space for people to practice their craft.
As we move into 2026, these questions become even more critical. In a world of constant change and increasing complexity, sustainable high performance doesn't come from pushing harder. It comes from playing the game we love with increasing skill and intention.
Your Next Play
Take Jordan's questions seriously:
What do you love about your work?
How can you do more of it?
How can that love drive your mastery?
And then ask the follow-up questions:
How are you helping your team answer these same questions?
What structures, habits, or mindsets might need to shift to make space for more joy in the work?
Let's discuss how these questions (and other remarkable questions) can help you and your team move from good to great in 2026. Reach out, and let's explore what it means to truly love the game you're playing.
