Michael Jordan, Sully Sullenberger, And You - Lessons In Being The Greatest Of All Time!

A couple buddies of mine and I debated a few weeks ago: Who is the greatest of all time ... Jordan or LeBron?

Now, keep in mind, I was speaking with mostly guys in their 30s who have only seen a few of the Jordan years and all of LeBron's career.

For the NBA, The Greatest Of All Time can be debated in many ways -- points scored, physicality, and my favorite ... number of championships.

After I sat and thought about this from every angle, one thing to me has to be present in order to be considered The Greatest Of All Time!

The day after my oncologist told me I needed to prepare my family, because there was now a three-month timeline. When you wake up and you are being told you're dying, you feel like you're dying, you look like you're dying, and everyone looks at you like you're dying. It's pivotal; you have to dig deep and navigate through it.

Leadership Under Pressure!

I believe my position in this fun debate was solidified in game one of the NBA Championship when JR Smith made a mistake that no NBA player should ever make. This mistake led to LeBron James throwing a temper tantrum on national TV in which he not only isolated his teammate, JR Smith, but also pushed the rest of his teammates to take a side.

It showed a lack of leadership, and for me, this disqualifies LeBron from ever being considered as the GOAT!

Leadership under pressure separates great from the greatest.

Think about the best boss you've ever had; the reason why they were the best was because they invested in, cared about, and led you. Who's the best talent coach you've ever had? Which manager helped to evolve you into being better than you thought you could ever be?

The day after treatment, Tucker, a friend's Australian Shephard, making sure I'm okay.
Never underestimate the power of healing through a four-legged friend.

Sully

There are thousands of pilots in this world, but Sully Sullenberger to me stands out as the GOAT! Under intense pressure, extreme circumstance, and odds that weren't in his favor, Sully showed extreme leadership under pressure. The visual of the 155 lives standing on the wings of Flight 1549 was evidence that he was truly was the GOAT!

Learn to take a deep breath under extreme pressure, listen, and think before you respond, and look through the problem for the solution! The leadership skills I've developed and used over and over for 30+ years in our business, I'm betting, have helped and evolved some of those I worked and partnered with along the way.

These skills ultimately benefited me the second I was told I had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, and it was probably going to take my life. The truth is, life will throw you a personal curveball; it may not be cancer, but life will get real messy for you one day.

Use what you've learned, practiced, and taught others, and lead yourself through an extreme situation under extreme pressure. Take a deep breath, and realize you are the greatest of all time! #IBelieveInMiracles

This last Saturday, I hosted many loved ones at my new home near Jacksonville. It's been a bumpy last five-plus years; having mom and dad with me for this special event was incredible with our smiles based on being thankful for life! (Photo Credit: Kristy Stephens Maguire)

Reach out with comments, ideas, or your stories and photos to John Thomas:
Cell: (585) 469-0738 || JT@AllAccess.com
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