The 56-year-old Australia native is big on goal-setting and list-keeping, according to a Bloomberg profile.
Gorman reportedly goes home every night and writes down his bank's results - by hand.
At work, he keeps a folder with 10 priorities on his desk and checks them off - in red ink - as he works his way through them, according to the report.
Unlike "rival" Goldman Sachs, the only other stand-alone investment bank in America, Morgan Stanley sets goals for things like the bank's return on equity, assets under management, and compensation ratios.
But once the targets are set, Gorman tries not to micromanage.
He said that, without him, the bank would still do just fine. So he tries to focus on specific areas where he can make improvements.
"Each year I try to focus on about 10 priorities that I personally will get involved with," Gorman reportedly said at Morgan Stanley's annual meeting this year.