Publisher Description

What can one of the most successful coaches in the history of professional basketball tell CEOs, executives, entrepreneurs, and managers about leadership? Everything! In this fascinating account of his nearly seven decades as a player, coach, general manager, goodwill ambassador, color commentator, and NBA analyst for ESPN, basketball legend Dr. Jack Ramsay reveals the guiding principles and best practices that make for outstanding leadership both on and off the court.

Back Cover

Praise for Dr. Jack's LEADERSHIP LESSONS "I would run through a wall for Jack Ramsay." --Billy Cunningham One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history "Coach Ramsay has compiled a wonderful collection of insights and wisdom that ring true in both basketball and life." --Gregg Popovich Coach, San Antonio Spurs, NBA Champions 1999, 2003 "There are only a few 'teachers' we all learn from and Dr. Jack is one of them." --Jim Calhoun Basketball Coach, University of Connecticut, NCAA Champions, 1999 "As a leader and coach, Dr. Jack always played above the rim, but his wisdom transcends basketball. In this book, he goes up strong and brings down the truth on leadership." --Bill Walton Member, Basketball Hall of Fame

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What can one of the most successful coaches in the history of professional basketball tell CEOs, executives, entrepreneurs, and managers about leadership? Everything! In this fascinating account of his nearly seven decades as a player, coach, general manager, goodwill ambassador, color commentator, and NBA analyst for ESPN, basketball legend Dr. Jack Ramsay reveals the guiding principles and best practices that make for outstanding leadership both on and off the court. Through colorful anecdotes that span his entire career, Hall of Fame coach Ramsay illustrates how great NBA players, coaches, and owners develop their self-confidence, learn to inspire confidence in others, motivate colleagues and subordinates, and lead by example. He demonstrates how these techniques can be applied in any profession or industry and presents principles of leadership that hold true in every situation. He offers concrete, commonsense advice on how to:

• Stay true to yourself while developing a powerful leadership style
• Communicate effectively with colleagues and subordinates
• Encourage others to do their very best
• Adapt to changes in any business environment
• Set goals and succeed at the highest level
• Handle major career transitions
• And much more

You’ll learn how to prepare for every business meeting the way Larry Bird prepared for every game; how to revitalize a slumping company the way owner Mark Cuban transformed the Dallas Mavericks; and how to demonstrate trust in your colleagues the way Michael Jordan showed confidence in his teammates. You’ll also learn how retired athletes such as Magic Johnson, Bill Bradley, and Billy Cunningham handled difficult transitions into new careers, starting over from scratch at an age when most of us are just hitting our stride. Do basketball lessons apply in real life? As Minnesota Timberwolves star Kevin Garnett puts it, "You’ve got to work hard, know where you’re going, show people you care, and communicate, you’ve really got to communicate. It’s harder in real life, because it never stops." Read Dr. Jack’s Leadership Lessons Learned from a Lifetime in Basketball, and find out what it takes to become a true leader and an unstoppable winner.

Author Biography

DR. JACK RAMSAY is one of the most respected basketball minds of his generation, and one of the most successful coaches in basketball history; when he retired from coaching in 1989, his 864 wins were second all-time to the legendary Red Auerbach. He currently works as a pro basketball analyst for ESPN.

Table of Contents

Foreword. Acknowledgments. Introduction Hoop Journey: From Barn Door to the NBA. 1. Lace 'em Up: The Foundations of Success. 2. Home Court Advantage: Teaching and Learning. 3. Three-Pointer: Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. 4. Taking Possession: Job Readiness. 5. Fast Break: Maximizing Opportunities. 6. Leadership Playbook: Accepting Responsibility. 7. The Inside Man: Internal Leadership. 8. The Game Plan: Making Decisions. 9. At the Buzzer: How to Win, How to Lose. 10. Transition Game: Succeeding on the Court of Life. Epilogue The Triangle Defense: Family, Fun, Friends. Index.

Review

Ramsay, whose 20-year career as a professional coach included a stint with the NBA title-winning Portland Trail Blazers, is currently a pro basketball analyst for ESPN. Although billed as a guide to leadership strategies learned from professional experience as well as his observation of outstanding players and other coaches, this manual is more a recollection of the sport Ramsay knows and loves. Many of the author's tips, directed to those who want to lead both on and off the court, include the need to set clear goals, develop self-confidence, make firm decisions and accept responsibility—certainly not original and often hackneyed. The text becomes more interesting when Ramsay backs up his advice with anecdotes about such basketball greats as Pat Riley, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. He credits Bird's ability, for example, to make a successful adjustment from college to NBA basketball to innate self-confidence honed by repetitive practice drills. Magic Johnson's HIV diagnosis motivated the player to maintain job readiness by eating right and exercising regularly, a plan that Johnson credits with keeping his disease under control and has inspired Ramsay's own pursuit of a healthy lifestyle. In the end, these leadership bromides, leavened by basketball stories, will interest mainly fans of the sport. (Feb) (Publishers Weekly, January 12, 2004)

Long Description

Praise for Dr. Jack's LEADERSHIP LESSONS "I would run through a wall for Jack Ramsay." --Billy Cunningham One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history "Coach Ramsay has compiled a wonderful collection of insights and wisdom that ring true in both basketball and life." --Gregg Popovich Coach, San Antonio Spurs, NBA Champions 1999, 2003 "There are only a few 'teachers' we all learn from and Dr. Jack is one of them." --Jim Calhoun Basketball Coach, University of Connecticut, NCAA Champions, 1999 "As a leader and coach, Dr. Jack always played above the rim, but his wisdom transcends basketball. In this book, he goes up strong and brings down the truth on leadership." --Bill Walton Member, Basketball Hall of Fame

Review Text

Ramsay, whose 20-year career as a professional coach included a stint with the NBA title-winning Portland Trail Blazers, is currently a pro basketball analyst for ESPN. Although billed as a guide to leadership strategies learned from professional experience as well as his observation of outstanding players and other coaches, this manual is more a recollection of the sport Ramsay knows and loves. Many of the author?s tips, directed to those who want to lead both on and off the court, include the need to set clear goals, develop self-confidence, make firm decisions and accept responsibility?certainly not original and often hackneyed. The text becomes more interesting when Ramsay backs up his advice with anecdotes about such basketball greats as Pat Riley, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. He credits Bird?s ability, for example, to make a successful adjustment from college to NBA basketball to innate self-confidence honed by repetitive practice drills. Magic Johnson?s HIV diagnosis motivated the player to maintain job readiness by eating right and exercising regularly, a plan that Johnson credits with keeping his disease under control and has inspired Ramsay?s own pursuit of a healthy lifestyle. In the end, these leadership bromides, leavened by basketball stories, will interest mainly fans of the sport. (Feb) (Publishers Weekly, January 12, 2004)

Review Quote

Ramsay, whose 20-year career as a professional coach included a stint with the NBA title-winning Portland Trail Blazers, is currently a pro basketball analyst for ESPN. Although billed as a guide to leadership strategies learned from professional experience as well as his observation of outstanding players and other coaches, this manual is more a recollection of the sport Ramsay knows and loves. Many of the author's tips, directed to those who want to lead both on and off the court, include the need to set clear goals, develop self-confidence, make firm decisions and accept responsibility--certainly not original and often hackneyed. The text becomes more interesting when Ramsay backs up his advice with anecdotes about such basketball greats as Pat Riley, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. He credits Bird's ability, for example, to make a successful adjustment from college to NBA basketball to innate self-confidence honed by repetitive practice drills. Magic Johnson's HIV diagnosis motivated the player to maintain job readiness by eating right and exercising regularly, a plan that Johnson credits with keeping his disease under control and has inspired Ramsay's own pursuit of a healthy lifestyle. In the end, these leadership bromides, leavened by basketball stories, will interest mainly fans of the sport. (Feb) ( Publishers Weekly , January 12, 2004)

Promotional "Headline"

Ramsay, whose 20-year career as a professional coach included a stint with the NBA title-winning Portland Trail Blazers, is currently a pro basketball analyst for ESPN. Although billed as a guide to leadership strategies learned from professional experience as well as his observation of outstanding players and other coaches, this manual is more a recollection of the sport Ramsay knows and loves. Many of the author's tips, directed to those who want to lead both on and off the court, include the need to set clear goals, develop self-confidence, make firm decisions and accept responsibility-certainly not original and often hackneyed. The text becomes more interesting when Ramsay backs up his advice with anecdotes about such basketball greats as Pat Riley, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. He credits Bird's ability, for example, to make a successful adjustment from college to NBA basketball to innate self-confidence honed by repetitive practice drills. Magic Johnson's HIV diagnosis motivated the player to maintain job readiness by eating right and exercising regularly, a plan that Johnson credits with keeping his disease under control and has inspired Ramsay's own pursuit of a healthy lifestyle. In the end, these leadership bromides, leavened by basketball stories, will interest mainly fans of the sport. (Feb) (Publishers Weekly, January 12, 2004)

Feature

Hall of Fame basketball coach Dr. Jack Ramsay reveals his principles of great leadership.

• Dr. Jack Ramsay is a legend in the sports world who currently works as ESPN's pro basketball analyst
• Includes intriguing business stories and interviews with star athletes who have successfully transitioned to the business world
• Foreword by David Halberstam, bestselling author of The Best and the Brightest and The Summer of 49

Details