By Kendall Fisher (opens in new tab), executive producer at Grow Wire
⏰ 3-minute read
Shaquille O’Neal (opens in new tab) didn’t do it alone.
On the court and in the boardroom, Shaq is The Big Believer (opens in new tab) in teamwork, understanding his success is the result of surrounding himself with the right people and taking advice from those before him.
In fact, both Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson imparted two crucial lessons to Shaq.
Magic warned Shaq about the fleeting benefits of fame, pushing him to seek out business ventures and own his success. Shortly thereafter, Shaq purchased the Dummies guide to starting your own business.
A chapter on teamwork further proved Shaq’s belief in enlisting the right people to advise and guide him.
“I need four or five guys that are smarter than me, better than me with me to take me on this championship journey,” he notes.
But even with the right team, there is no success without some failure. And that was a lesson Jordan imposed upon Shaq after the Chicago Bulls swept the Orlando Magic in the 1996 Eastern Conference Finals.
“He grabbed me, and he said, ‘Before you succeed, you must first learn to fail,’” Shaq recalls.
Now, despite many failed investments, Shaq takes every misstep as lesson, and it’s shaped the person and businessman he is today.
Watch the video above to find out what it takes to get Shaq’s investment and how he hopes to leave his mark on the world.
