Jerry Jones didn’t get rich by winning Twitter debates.
Yesterday I talked about “okayness” — the idea that if you want to win, you have to let the other side be okay.
If you let them feel like they are sort of one-up on you, things get easier for you.
Last Friday, I had thoughts about the most pressing issue in Dallas right now: the Micah Parsons negotiations. Right before Parsons asked for a trade and sent out a tweet that could be read as contradicting me.
I’m not rehashing that today. (Maybe soon, before the inevitable happens.)
Here’s what hit me instead:
Jerry Jones is the best example I’ve ever seen of being not-okay — and how it can work for you long-term.
Since he bought the Cowboys in 1989, Jerry’s been ripped by the media. Maybe not during the ’92–’93 glory years, but pretty much every other day since. Buffoon. Jerk. Racist. Con artist. You name it.
And he’s not perfect. But he leans into it. He lets everyone have their say while he keeps doing things.
People laugh at the way he talks in circles after games or during negotiations. He throws out rambling analogies that don’t make sense, and the media shapes it into whatever fits their story.
But when he’s talking in a non-adversarial setting? Totally different guy. Engaging. Sharp. I’m convinced “press conference Jerry” is partly an act.
Most people in his shoes would duck the media. Not Jerry. He rarely gets mad, and even when he does, it’s brief. He’s been the most accessible owner in sports for decades, talking to people who will turn right around and call him stupid.
Meanwhile, while everyone’s been busy calling him stupid, he’s:
- Turned a struggling team (partly foreclosed by the feds) into the most valuable sports franchise in history.
- Rewritten NFL marketing rules to the benefit of every team.
- Negotiated massive TV deals that dwarfed what others would have taken.
- Built one of the premier stadiums in the world.
- Made a fortune in real estate, oil, gas, and other ventures.
What hasn’t he done? Won a Super Bowl in a long time. So he’s an idiot. He lets you believe that while he keeps moving forward.
I haven’t made myself into a national punching bag yet, and maybe I won’t. But I’m fine letting the other guy in the room be the “smart” one if it gets us where we need to go.
Like Jerry, I don’t need to “win” every argument in public—I just want my clients to win on their deal.
When you’re ready, you know what to do. Click below:
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