#82 - Mark Messier: Leadership, personal growth, and performing under pressure

6 snips

Dec 2, 2019

Mark Messier, a six-time Stanley Cup champion with over 25 years in the NHL, shares his journey from hockey great to leader off the ice. He discusses the importance of humble leadership and teamwork, how he learned from legends like Wayne Gretzky, and the pressure of performing in high-stakes situations. Messier reflects on pivotal moments, his transition to family life, and the challenges of youth sports today. His insights on resilience and personal growth provide a fascinating look at what it takes to thrive under pressure.

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ANECDOTE

Early Career and WHA

Mark Messier played 25 years in the NHL and 26 years professionally, starting at 17.
He holds the unique distinction of being the youngest player to have played for a folded professional franchise.

ANECDOTE

Early Hockey Experiences

Messier's dad started youth hockey programs in Portland, Oregon.
He played on his older brother's peewee team for four years, always playing against older kids.

INSIGHT

Multi-Sport Development

Messier believes playing multiple sports as a child develops better overall athleticism.
Specializing too early can be detrimental, as talent blossoms at different times.

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In this episode, Mark Messier, six-time Stanley Cup champion, shares the most valuable lessons he picked up over 25+ years of professional hockey resulting in one of the longest and most decorated careers in hockey history. Mark shares what lead to his unique brand of humble leadership, how he was able to get talented individuals to effectively work as a team, the importance of maturing and evolving as a person, and how he was able to stay calm and perform at his best under enormous amounts of pressure. Additionally, we go through his favorite moments as a player, what it was like playing with and learning from The Great One, Wayne Gretzky, and much more.

We discuss:

Overview of Mark’s extraordinary 25+ year professional hockey career [7:15];
The trend towards kids focusing on one sport earlier and earlier—A good or bad thing? [12:00];
Mark’s early passion for hockey, and when he realized it could be his “job” [14:15];
Going pro at age 17 [19:30];
Mark’s favorite experience playing professional hockey [25:45];
Playing with (and learning from) the great Wayne Gretzky [26:40];
A hard lesson learned in his first year as a pro [32:00];
Lessons learned from losing his first Stanley Cup Finals [35:45];
Redemption—Winning his first Stanley Cup and the beginning of a dynasty in Edmonton [41:15];
Importance of team character [54:00];
The shocking trade of Wayne Gretzky, and Mark stepping up as the new leader and team captain [59:30];
Playing for the New York Rangers—the lure of the city and the pressure to perform [1:07:00];
Ending the 54-year championship drought for the New York Rangers [1:13:30];
Becoming a great leader [1:16:30];
How to win the mental war against your opponent [1:20:30];
Opposing players for which Mark had great respect [1:22:00];
Retiring after an unbelievably long and lustrous career [1:27:00];
How to leverage stress and nervousness into a positive force [1:32:45];
The most important quality—A willingness to learn, improve, and evolve [1:36:00];
What does Mark do today for exercise to stay in great shape? [1:44:30];
Why playing sports is such a great thing for kids [1:49:30];
The Mark Messier Foundation [1:53:00];
How has Mark avoided the “loss of identity” feeling which plagues many retired athletes? [1:56:15];
Does Mark think it’s possible to reproduce a team as good as his Oilers teams of the 80s? [1:59:30];
Would Mark ever want to coach in the NHL? [2:03:00];
Will the Toronto Maple Leafs ever win the Stanley cup? [2:04:00]; and
More.

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