Back in the mid-90s as a young sales manager for Merrill Lynch, I was in conversation with an elite multimillion dollar advisor and he asked me a very simple question, “Paul I’ve been in the business for 20 years, what could you possibly teach me that I don’t already know?” I said “That’s a great question. I have a question for you, who is the greatest basketball player today?” He looked at me quizzically and said, “Michael Jordan of course.” I said, “I totally agree. Now I have a question for you, ‘why does Michael need Phil?’ What can Phil teach him that he doesn’t already know?” The advisor said, “well now that you mention it, why does he need Phil Jackson?” I said, “because of a single concept, perspective. Michael Jordan is in the arena, the game is moving really fast, his attention is laser focused on what’s unfolding right in front of him, and his emotions are often running high. His perspective will therefore tend to be very narrow and highly tactical, all focused on winning the next play. Phil Jackson’s perspective however, because he stands on the sidelines outside the arena, gives him a much broader strategic perspective, as well as a more clinical and dispassionate one. He can help Michael ‘see things’, that he might miss. You get up every day and go do battle for your clients, your teammates, and your family…this is your field of play. I can come in with a much more dispassionate, clinical, and strategic perspective, because quite frankly, it’s not my practice. My job is simply to observe, analyze, report, and recommend, while yours is to take what you like and ignore what you don’t. How does that sound?” Thus began another great coaching relationship.