Winning is hard. Winning eleven times is statistically impossible. Yet, Phil Jackson did it, and his memoir Eleven Rings The Soul of Success Phil Jackson basically acts as a forensic report on how he managed to herd the biggest egos in sports history into a collective force. You’d think a book by a guy with more jewelry than a Cartier showroom would be a chest-thumping manifesto about "grinding" or "hustling." It isn’t.
It’s actually kinda weird.
Jackson spent his career talking about Zen, Lakota Sioux philosophy, and the "Triangle Offense." He gave his players books to read—real books, like Behold the Spirit or Corelli's Mandolin—instead of yelling at them during film sessions. If you’re looking for a traditional sports biography, this isn't it. This is a deep look into the psychology of group flow. It’s about how he took a guy like Michael Jordan, who was essentially a scoring machine, and convinced him that he couldn't win until he learned to trust John Paxson and Steve Kerr.
The Architecture of the Eleven Rings
Jackson’s journey didn't start with a whistle. It started with a realization that most coaches fail because they try to control everything. In Eleven Rings The Soul of Success Phil Jackson, he breaks down his career into distinct eras. You have the Chicago years, where he had to manage the explosive growth of Jordan and the eccentricities of Scottie Pippen. Then you have the Los Angeles years, which were basically a long-running soap opera featuring Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.
The "Eleven Rings" aren't just trophies. They represent eleven different puzzles Jackson had to solve.
Take the 1991 Bulls. That was the first ring. Before that, Jordan was the "Air Jordan" brand, but the team was stagnant. Jackson introduced the Triangle Offense, a system designed by Tex Winter that removed the "star" as the sole focal point. It was a hard sell. Jordan hated it at first. He wanted the ball. But Jackson’s genius was in convincing MJ that by giving up the ball, he’d actually get it back in better positions. That’s the "soul of success" he talks about—the surrender of the "me" for the "we."
Mindfulness in the Midst of a Fast Break
One of the most fascinating parts of the book is how Jackson integrated meditation into NBA practices. Imagine telling a young, brash Kobe Bryant to sit in a dark room and breathe. It sounds ridiculous. Yet, Jackson stayed the course. He understood that the NBA is a league of high-stress moments. If a player can’t control their own mind in a quiet room, how can they hit a free throw with 20,000 people screaming for their blood?
He calls this "One Breath, One Mind."
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It wasn't just some hippie gimmick. It was a practical tool for synchronization. Jackson frequently discusses "The Way of the White Cloud" and other spiritual influences that helped him stay detached. By being the "Zen Master," he could remain calm while Shaq and Kobe were literally threatening to tear the team apart. He didn't take their outbursts personally. He saw the drama as weather—stormy today, sunny tomorrow, but the mountain stays still.
Managing the Unmanageable: Dennis Rodman
You can't talk about Jackson without mentioning Dennis Rodman. Most coaches would have kicked Rodman off the team within a week. He went to Vegas mid-season. He wore wedding dresses. He was a distraction by every conventional definition.
But Jackson saw something else.
He realized Rodman didn't need more rules; he needed a sense of belonging. Jackson connected with him through a shared interest in Native American culture and a mutual respect for the "outsider" mentality. Instead of punishing Rodman for being different, Jackson gave him the space to be himself, provided he showed up and rebounded like a demon. It worked. Rodman became the defensive anchor of the second Bulls three-peat. This is a massive lesson for any leader: you don't manage people by changing them; you manage them by finding where their weirdness fits the puzzle.
The Kobe and Shaq Paradox
If Chicago was about building a system, Los Angeles was about managing a civil war. Eleven Rings The Soul of Success Phil Jackson doesn't sugarcoat the friction between Kobe and Shaq. It was ugly. Shaq was the dominant physical force who wanted to have fun; Kobe was the obsessive prodigy who wanted to work 24/7.
Jackson admits he struggled here.
At one point, he even advocated for trading Kobe because he thought the young guard was "uncoachable." But the book tracks his growth alongside Kobe’s. They eventually found a middle ground. Jackson realized that Kobe didn't need a father figure; he needed a mentor who respected his intellect. The later rings—the ones Kobe won with Pau Gasol—are perhaps Jackson’s proudest achievements because they proved the culture he built could survive without a physical anomaly like Shaq.
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The Triangle Offense: More Than Just X’s and O’s
People talk about the Triangle like it’s some complex math equation. Jackson explains it as a philosophy of empowerment. In a standard NBA play, the point guard calls a play and everyone follows a script. In the Triangle, the players react to the defense. It’s improvisational jazz.
- The ball moves.
- The players move.
- The defense is forced to make a choice.
This is why players like Derek Fisher or Ron Harper thrived under Jackson. They weren't the most talented, but they were the smartest. They learned to read the game. Jackson argues that this system builds "collective intelligence." When a team stops looking to the coach for instructions and starts looking to each other for cues, they become unbeatable.
Leadership Lessons from the Zen Master
Reading the book feels like a masterclass in emotional intelligence. Jackson talks about "leading from the inside out." He didn't give many locker room speeches. He wasn't a "win one for the Gipper" kind of guy. Instead, he used silence.
Sometimes, during a timeout when the team was playing like garbage, Jackson would just sit there. He wouldn't say a word. He’d let the players stew in their own frustration until they realized they had to fix it themselves. He was teaching them self-reliance. It’s a risky move—you could lose the team entirely—but for Jackson, a team that relies on the coach to be their external conscience will always fold under pressure.
The Importance of Ritual
Jackson used rituals to ground his teams. Whether it was burning sage in the locker room to "clear the energy" after a bad loss or the specific way they broke the huddle, these actions created a sacred space. In a long 82-game season, things get boring. Rituals provide a rhythm. They remind the players that what they are doing is bigger than just a game. It’s a craft.
Why Some People Dislike the Book
It's only fair to mention that not everyone loves Jackson's approach. Some critics find his "Zen" talk a bit pretentious. There are former players who felt he was manipulative or that he played favorites. Jerry West and Jackson famously had a strained relationship. The book is Jackson's perspective, so naturally, he’s the hero of his own story. However, he is surprisingly honest about his failures, like his inability to connect with certain players or the toll the job took on his health and personal life.
Actionable Insights for Your Own "Eleven Rings"
If you’re looking to apply the "Soul of Success" to your own life or business, don't start by buying a meditation cushion. Start with these shifts in perspective:
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1. Relinquish the Illusion of Control
Stop trying to micromanage every "play" in your office. Build a system (your own Triangle Offense) that allows your people to make their own decisions based on the situation. If they have to ask you for permission for everything, you aren't a leader; you're a bottleneck.
2. Focus on the "Spirit" of the Group
Skills are easy to find. Chemistry is rare. Jackson looked for players who "got it"—players who were willing to sacrifice their scoring average for a championship. Look for the "glue people" in your organization. They are often more valuable than your top performers who refuse to collaborate.
3. Practice Mindful Detachment
When things go wrong—and they will—don't react emotionally. Jackson’s ability to stay cool during the Kobe-Shaq feud saved that dynasty. If you can stay calm when everyone else is panicking, you become the anchor for the entire team.
4. Use Non-Linear Teaching
Sometimes a direct lecture isn't the answer. Jackson gave his players books that had nothing to do with basketball but everything to do with the mindset they needed. Find creative ways to challenge your team's thinking.
5. Respect the Power of Silence
You don't always need to have the last word. Sometimes, letting a team fail and figure out why is more powerful than preventing the failure in the first place. Experience is the best teacher, even if it’s painful.
Eleven Rings The Soul of Success Phil Jackson is a blueprint for anyone trying to lead a group of talented, difficult individuals toward a common goal. It proves that the "soul" of success isn't found in a playbook, but in the quiet spaces between the players.
To dive deeper into these concepts, you should look into the specific reading lists Jackson gave his players. Studying the books he assigned—like A Slice of Life or Way of the Peaceful Warrior—provides a much clearer window into how he shaped the minds of some of the greatest athletes to ever live. Start by identifying the "ego" roadblocks in your current project and ask yourself: "How can I make the team the star instead of the individual?"