Jamie Dimon Says CEOs Should Study Athletes Like Serena Williams, Tom Brady And Stephen Curry — 'Look How They Train To Be That Good'

"Look how they train to be that good," JPMorgan Chase & Co. JPM CEO Jamie Dimon told The Economist last month, arguing that CEOs should mirror the discipline of Serena Williams, and Stephen Curry. 

Barely a month after the bank reported a record Q1 net income of $14.6 billion on $46 billion in revenue — its best opening quarter ever — Dimon highlighted that strength in the bank’s markets division, particularly trading and investment banking, was a key driver behind those impressive figures. He also warned of "considerable turbulence" in the global economy due to geopolitical factors and trade-related volatility.

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Training Lessons From The Court And C-Suite

JPMorgan reported its Q1 results on April, showing profits were up 9% year over year. Dimon credited "relentless preparation," a phrase that reappeared weeks later in his annual shareholder letter. 

He outlined the military-style OODA loop — observe, orient, decide, act — as a leadership essential, calling the failure to observe "one of the greatest mistakes in business and government." The process is spelled out in the bank's 2023 shareholder letter.

Dimon listed courage, humility, people skills and grit as traits he and JPMorgan Chase's board are looking for in a successor. But one underrated quality stood out: "Constantly observing the world out there and thinking, ‘What can be done better?'" He urged candidates to study athletes who treat recovery as a job.

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In a Fortune profile last month focused on the bank's succession planning, Dimon stressed that his successor will shoulder significantly greater scrutiny and broader responsibility, and noted that consumer banking CEO Marianne Lake and commercial banking co‑CEO Troy Rohrbaugh are under close board evaluation.

Three-time NBA champion Stephen Curry explained to Business Insider in March that cold tubs and compression sleeves still anchor his daily routine, helping him extend a career now projected through 2027. The feature illustrates exactly the point Dimon made: meticulous recovery sustains peak output.

Tennis icon Serena Williams has described maintaining a disciplined post-retirement fitness routine—including early-morning cardio and strength work—as she trains for a half‑marathon and strives to stay as active and fit as she was during her competitive tennis days, highlighting the balanced fitness Dimon urges executives to adopt.

Speaking at the Databricks Data & AI Summit in June, Dimon gave a blunt culture tip: "Fire the assholes," insisting that toxic behavior erodes the discipline he prizes. He tied the advice back to athletic locker rooms, where accountability is non-negotiable.

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