This Tuesday I have a wonderful opportunity. I will be interviewed by the Hanging With The AD podcast team. This resource exists for high school athletic directors at the district and local school levels; college athletic administrators; leaders in spaces that connect to athletics such as nutrition, wellness, recruiting, student-athlete recognition; current and former athletes; and others, who can help athletic administrators develop themselves and their programs for a better daily experience for their athletic communities.
I have been asked to provide what I feel are the top sports books on the subject of building winning cultures. This is such an honor because leaders are readers and if I can put more quality resources into the hands of more leaders, everyone wins.
The following are The Top 12 Sports Books On Building Winning Cultures. These are listed in alphabetical order. BTW – click the links as these make incredible Christmas gifts.
- The Dynasty by Jeff Benedict. This is the definitive work on the New England Patriots dynasty. By tracing the team’s epic run through the perspectives of owner Robert Kraft, head coach Bill Belichick, and quarterback Tom Brady, this book provides a wealth of new insight into the complex human beings most responsible for the Patriots’ success. This book details the NFL’s savviest owner treat Brady like a son, empower Belichick to cut and trade beloved players, and spend sleepless nights figuring out diplomatic ways to keep Brady and Belichick together for two decades. You come to understand how a genius head coach keeps his players at an emotional distance and blocks out anything that gets in the way of winning. And you better understand the relentless drive, ferocious competitive nature, and emotional sensitivity that allows Brady to continue playing football into his forties.
- Win Forever: Live, Work, and Play Like a Champion by Pete Carroll. What I find fascinating about this book is Coach Carroll had already coached two NFL teams and still did not have a philosophy of leadership. Carroll shows us how the Win Forever philosophy really works, both in NCAA Division I competition and in the NFL. He reveals how his recruiting strategies, training routines, and game-day rituals preserve a team’s culture year after year, during championship seasons and disappointing seasons alike. Win Forever is about more than winning football games; it’s about maximizing your potential in every aspect of your life. Carroll has taught business leaders facing tough challenges. He has helped troubled kids on the streets of Los Angeles through his foundation A Better LA. His words are true in any situation: “If you want to win forever, always compete.”
- Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success by Phil Jackson. Eleven times, Jackson led his teams to the ultimate goal: the NBA championship—six times with the Chicago Bulls and five times with the Los Angeles Lakers. We all know the legendary stars on those teams. This book is full of revelations: about fascinating personalities and their drive to win; about the wellsprings of motivation and competition at the highest levels; and about what it takes to bring out the best in high-capacity performers.
- Legacy by James Kerr. I bought this book on the recommendation of John Maxwell and it did not disappoint. Kerr goes deep into the heart of the world’s most successful team, the New Zealand All Blacks, to help understand what it takes to bounce back from adversity and still reach the top. It is a book about leading a team or an organisation – but, more importantly, about leading a life. It is a truly life-defining read that addresses the big questions – values, vision, mindset and purpose – that, when answered, build the foundation for resilience, excellence and sustained success.
- The Gold Standard: Building a World-Class Team by Mike Krzyzewski. Coach K has written a number of quality leadership books. I think this is his best. Comprised of some of the biggest NBA stars, Coach K had to work with huge egos and personal rivalries in order to create an American team that could win against the best competition in the world and restore Team USA to the Olympic gold standard of basketball. This is Coach K’s first-hand account of how he dealt with such stars as Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony and all the rest to buy into his “total team” play. Half a book on basketball, half a book on management techniques, The Gold Standard captures Coach K’s personal style and approach to getting different (and sometimes difficult) people to work hard and succeed in reaching a common goal.
- Gridiron Genius: A Master Class in Building Teams and Winning at the Highest Level by Michael Lombardi. To my knowledge, no one other than Lombardi has worked for Bill Walsh, Al Davis, and Bill Belichick. In addition, he also worked on the staff of the Cleveland Browns with Nick Saban. He brings all his lessons learned from these legendary leaders in a single book. Every leader in every field needs to read this book. An absolute “master class” on building a winning culture.
- Above the Line: Lessons in Leadership and Life from a Championship Program by Urban Meyer. For my money, there is not a better speaker on the subject of leadership currently than Coach Meyer. In this book, he offers readers his unparalleled insights into leadership, team building, and the keys to empowering people to achieve things they might never have thought possible. Meyer shares his groundbreaking game plan—the game plan followed every day in the Ohio State Buckeyes’ championship season—for creating a culture of success built on trust and a commitment to a common purpose.
- 4th and Goal Every Day: Alabama’s Relentless Pursuit of Perfection by Phil Savage. If you want to learn about Nick Saban’s legendary The Process, this is the best book I’ve read on the subject. Savage details Coach Saban’s year-round preparation, his willingness to adjust and his belief in “complimentary football.” The book offers a close look at their player development and practice habits and gives a glimpse of the Crimson Tide’s approach of playing every single down like it’s 4th and goal.
- The Cubs Way: The Zen of Building the Best Team in Baseball and Breaking the Curse by Tom Verducci. One of the world’s best writers published this resource shortly after the Cubs finally won the World Series. What I love most about this book is the focus on Theo Epstein’s Moneyball approaches to building an organization, Joe Madden’s counter-cultural approaches to managing, and its team full of high-character leaders. This is a masterpiece!
- The Captain Class: A New Theory of Leadership by Sam Walker. The seventeen most dominant teams in sports history had one thing in common: Each employed the same type of captain—a singular leader with an unconventional set of skills and tendencies. Drawing on original interviews with athletes, general managers, coaches, and team-building experts, Sam Walker identifies the seven core qualities of the Captain Class—from extreme doggedness and emotional control to tactical aggression and the courage to stand apart. The only problem with this book is the omission of the 1990’s Chicago Bulls.
- The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership by Bill Walsh. This is one of the Top 5 leadership books I have ever read, regardless of the genre. If Steve Jobs was a coach instead of a tech icon, he would have been Bill Walsh. Walsh’s advanced leadership transformed the San Francisco 49ers from the worst franchise in sports to a legendary dynasty. In the process, he changed the way football is played. Prior to his death, Walsh granted a series of exclusive interviews to bestselling author Steve Jamison. These became his ultimate lecture on leadership.
- Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization by John Wooden. Many consider Coach Wooden as the greatest coach in any sport who ever lived. Focusing on Wooden’s 12 Lessons in Leadership and his acclaimed Pyramid of Success, it outlines the mental, emotional, and physical qualities essential to building a winning organization, and shows you how to develop the skill, confidence, and competitive fire to “be at your best when your best is needed”–and teach your organization to do the same.
#CommissionsEarned
And now a complimentary resource. During the 2019 college football season, fans were given a gift when legendary coach Urban Meyer joined Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff preview show as a studio analyst. As a three-time national championship head coach, Coach Meyer’s ability to deliver complex leadership principles with brevity and concise terminology created a compelling experience for educated and “smart” fans. Throughout the season, I captured Coach Meyer’s best leadership quotes from this weekly show. I wanted to make them available to you in this new complimentary resource Urban Meyer 2019 Fox Sports Big Noon Kickoff Ebook.
The contents includes Winning Cultures, 3 Types of Teams, Strategy and Competition, Recruiting, Rivalry Games, Personal Performance, and much, much more. Click HERE to get your complimentary copy today! Trust me – this resource will make you a better leader.