The Highest Level Podcast with Evan Burk

Phil Jackson Leadership Case Study - How to Lead Champions

How do you coach Michael Jordan? Phil Jackson didn't just manage the greatest player ever - he transformed him from individual superstar into the ultimate team leader.

In this deep dive, discover the 5 leadership principles Jackson used to win 6 NBA championships with the Bulls: Mindful Awareness, Me-to-We Transformation, Compassionate Confrontation, Vision-Driven Culture, and Invisible Leadership.

These aren't just basketball strategies - they're proven frameworks for leading high-performing teams in any organization.

🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• How to get ego-driven superstars to embrace team success
• The art of confronting problems without destroying relationships
• Why the best leaders make themselves "invisible"
• Building cultures where everyone has a vital role

🎪 WORK WITH ME:

Want to apply championship leadership principles in your organization?

→ Speaking & Consulting: https://www.coachevanburk.com/workwithevan

📺 CHAMPIONSHIP LEADERSHIP SERIES:

This is part of my ongoing case study series breaking down legendary coaches. Subscribe for more leadership lessons from champions.

Next up: Bill Belichick and the systematic approach to building dynasties.

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• Website: https://www.coachevanburk.com

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Coach Patrick Murphy is the Head Softball Coach at the University of Alabama. His career accomplishments rank among the very best in college sports, with a career winning percentage of 78%, winning the National Championship in 2012, and leading the Crimson Tide softball team to the NCAA tournament for a remarkable 22 straight years.

In this conversation, Evan Burk talks to University of Alabama softball head coach Patrick Murphy about building the culture of his program by prioritizing the PERSON first - athlete second, capturing his players' hearts with "Affirmation Bags", and The Power of Tiny Gains in building the team culture.

Get Evan's book, Finding Intangibles, to learn about how high-performing teams are built and how hidden character traits drive all elite performers and organizations.

To stay up to date with Evan and The Highest Level podcast, sign up for Evan's leadership newsletter.

Tyler Johnson is a mental skills and performance coach and host of the Elev8 Podcast. His primarily focus is working with student-athletes and coaches to elevate attitudes and potential through a focus of strength and balance of mind.

In this conversation, Evan Burk talks to Tyler about coach Mark Farley and the rise of the Northern Iowa football program, how leaders can develop team trust, and the intangibles of self in elite leaders and high performers.

Check out Evan's appearance on the Elev8 podcast that Tyler hosts, and follow Tyler on Instagram and Twitter

Get Evan's book, Finding Intangibles, to learn about how high-performing teams are built and the hidden character traits that drive all elite performers and organizations.

To stay up to date with Evan and The Highest Level podcast, sign up for Evan's leadership newsletter.

Hunter Sims is the Director of Athletics at Howard Payne University, where he spent 6 years as an assistant coach, offensive coordinator, and head coach of the school's football program before his promotion into the AD role.

In this conversation, Evan Burk talks to Hunter about appreciating the "invisible paychecks" coaches receive, how he developed his one-year onboarding program to help 1st time head coaches successfully transition into an unfamiliar role, and what he looks for when he's hiring a head coach to lead one of Howard Payne's athletic programs.

https://hpusports.com/staff-directory/hunter-sims/142

Get Evan's book, Finding Intangibles, to learn about how high-performing teams are built and the hidden character traits that drive all elite performers and organizations.

To stay up to date with Evan and The Highest Level podcast, sign up for Evan's leadership newsletter.

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EVAN BURK is an author, speaker, former NFL coach, and podcast host who uses the sports world as his backdrop to engage audiences with thought-provoking lessons of leadership, team-building, and creating championship cultures. Learn more about having Evan come speak to your team by visiting his website, or email him at: [email protected]

Edited and Produced by Mark McDonald. Launch your podcast at https://yourbusinesspodcast.net

Joan Ryan is the senior media advisor for the San Francisco Giants and the author of the book "Intangibles: Unlocking the Science and Soul of Team Chemistry."

In this conversation, Evan Burk talks to Joan about team chemistry and how it affects performance, why trust among teammates and co-workers is crucial to building great chemistry, and how relationships influence the team dynamics within the locker room.

Get Evan's book, Finding Intangibles, to learn about how high-performing teams are built and the hidden character traits that drive all elite performers and organizations.

To stay up to date with Evan and The Highest Level podcast, sign up for Evan's leadership newsletter.

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EVAN BURK is an author, speaker, former NFL coach, and podcast host who uses the sports world as his backdrop to engage audiences with thought-provoking lessons of leadership, team-building, and creating championship cultures. Learn more about having Evan come speak to your team by visiting his website, or email him at: [email protected]

Edited and Produced by Mark McDonald. Launch your podcast at https://yourbusinesspodcast.net

Brian Decker is the Director of Team Development for the Indianapolis Colts and was previously Commander of Special Forces Assessment and Selection for the U.S. military.

In this conversation, Evan Burk talks to Brian about his model for talent assessment, how character is the bridge between talent and performance, and how the Colts' see the culture of their team as a competitive advantage.

Get Evan's book, Finding Intangibles, to learn about how high-performing teams are built and the hidden character traits that drive all elite performers and organizations.

To stay up to date with Evan and The Highest Level podcast, sign up for Evan's leadership newsletter.

--

Buy Evan's book, Finding Intangibles

EVAN BURK is an author, speaker, former NFL coach, and podcast host who uses the sports world as his backdrop to engage audiences with thought-provoking lessons of leadership, team-building, and creating championship cultures. Learn more about having Evan come speak to your team by visiting his website, or email him at: [email protected]

Edited and Produced by Mark McDonald. Launch your podcast at https://yourbusinesspodcast.net

Kelvin is an 11-year NFL player currently playing for the Arizona Cardinals, and is also a two-time Walter Payton Man of the Year Award nominee for his volunteer and charity work.

In this conversation, Evan Burk talks with Kelvin about his success in professional football despite being an "undersized" NFL Offensive Tackle, the great leadership ability of Mike Tomlin and Todd Bowles, and leaving a legacy of serving others in his community.

Get Evan's book, Finding Intangibles, to learn about how high-performing teams are built and the hidden character traits that drive all elite performers and organizations.

To stay up to date with Evan and The Highest Level podcast, sign up for Evan's leadership newsletter.

--

Buy Evan's book, Finding Intangibles

EVAN BURK is an author, speaker, former NFL coach, and podcast host who uses the sports world as his backdrop to engage audiences with thought-provoking lessons of leadership, team-building, and creating championship cultures. Learn more about having Evan come speak to your team by visiting his website, or email him at: [email protected]

Edited and Produced by Mark McDonald. Launch your podcast at https://yourbusinesspodcast.net

Steve Mellor is a performance coach, former college swim coach , and host of the Career Competitor podcast.

In this conversation, Evan Burk talks with Steve about his competitive swim career, his transition to becoming a career and executive coach, and setting a minimum standard to achieve sustained success.

https://careercompetitor.com/

Get Evan's book, Finding Intangibles, to learn about how high-performing teams are built and the hidden character traits that drive all elite performers and organizations.

To stay up to date with Evan and The Highest Level podcast, sign up for Evan's leadership newsletter.

--

Buy Evan's book, Finding Intangibles

EVAN BURK is an author, speaker, former NFL coach, and podcast host who uses the sports world as his backdrop to engage audiences with thought-provoking lessons of leadership, team-building, and creating championship cultures. Learn more about having Evan come speak to your team by visiting his website, or email him at: [email protected]

Mitch Ford is a former basketball coach with experience working as an NBA player development coach with the Dallas Mavericks and a Front office assistant with the Charlotte Hornets.

In this conversation, Evan Burk talks with Mitch about how a NBA coaching legend helped him get his start in the NBA, working first-hand with great NBA players Dirk Nowitzki and Luka Doncic, and the commonalities among the best cultures in the NBA

Get Evan's book, Finding Intangibles, to learn about how high-performing teams are built and the hidden character traits that drive all elite performers and organizations.

To stay up to date with Evan and The Highest Level podcast, sign up for Evan's leadership newsletter.

--

Buy Evan's book, Finding Intangibles

EVAN BURK is an author, speaker, former NFL coach, and podcast host who uses the sports world as his backdrop to engage audiences with thought-provoking lessons of leadership, team-building, and creating championship cultures. Learn more about having Evan come speak to your team by visiting his website, or email him at: [email protected]

Brittni Donaldson is a former NBA assistant coach and data analyst with the Toronto Raptors and currently serves as the Director of Coaching Development for the Hamilton Honey Badgers, and co-founder of Strata Athletics.

In this conversation, Evan Burk talks with Brittni about coaching across genders as a female NBA coach, the factors that are ignored when evaluating NBA talent, and winning an NBA championship in 2019 with the Toronto Raptors.

Get Evan's book, Finding Intangibles, to learn about how high-performing teams are built and the hidden character traits that drive all elite performers and organizations.

To stay up to date with Evan and The Highest Level podcast, sign up for Evan's leadership newsletter.

--

Buy Evan's book, Finding Intangibles

EVAN BURK is an author, speaker, former NFL coach, and podcast host who uses the sports world as his backdrop to engage audiences with thought-provoking lessons of leadership, team-building, and creating championship cultures. Learn more about having Evan come speak to your team by visiting his website, or email him at: [email protected]