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Coach Krzyzewski relates a lot of different ideas and practices to how to lead a team. He shows this with events that occur on and off the basketball court. Duke basketball was very magical to me in those four years to say the least. In 1991, Coach K and the Duke basketball team won the final game of the NCAA tournament and became National Champions. I attended Duke from 1987 to 1991. He is definitely a winner in many aspects. Another interesting idea is the trust and a feeling of family that bonds between coach and players. He shows the ability to adapt to changing situations and to different crises that he details in the book.
Especially interesting and moving is when he speaks of his friendship with Coach Jim Valvano of NC State in the time that Coach Valvano was struggling with cancer. He also talks about the way he focuses for a game. In all four basketball seasons, Coach Krzyzewski led the Duke Blue Devils Basketball team to four straight Final Fours. Another point Coach K makes is that he tells the reader that success should be determined internally in a team and not from an external source. He speaks of the team being like a fist where when all "fingers" or players are united they are stronger than when alone. It is interesting that Coach K stated that he coached each team differently due to different characteristics of each team. After finishing the book, it is easy to see why Coach K has such success in collegiate basketball. Coach Krzyzewski writes in a very simple and straightforward manner and gives ideas of leadership that should be standard in any successful organization.
I have always found Coach K's Duke basketball teams to be good, disciplined, and well prepared. academics, dealing with success, respect for authority, the links between individual and collective responsibility, nurturing and developing leaders at all levels, etc).Another aspect of the book that I liked was that it contained many examples of how Coach K learned from his own personal experiences and then taught those lessons to others: caring for his players (his `other family'), from his parents; the tradition of honoring seniors, from his college days at West Point; what it means to focus on and accomplish your mission/objectives, from his military service; dealing with defeat, setbacks, success, tragedies, adversity, and changing environments, from all throughout his coaching career. I definitely sensed that the book was written by a master coach, a master teacher.
I thought this book would be interesting, and a good learning experience for me. The book was a very honest glimpse inside the head and heart of one of college basketball's most respected and successful coaches. I respect Coach K for his teams' accomplishments, and for his demeanor on and off the court.
I found Coach K a lot more philosophical, intellectual, and psychologically-oriented than I ever imagined. I was right on both accounts.The book is written in an easy-to-read, almost conversational style. The material was presented and explained in a logical and organized way that made Coach K's points easy to understand.
One of the most interesting things about this book is that it discussed many leadership situations not usually covered in other leadership books (e.g. I was also impressed with how he constantly transforms his beliefs into actions for himself and others.Coach K's book is a great, detailed look at leadership from someone who continues to successfully live and teach leadership on and off the basketball court.
If you want to lead any kind of group, this is the book to read.
This is a helpful book about coaching. Every coach should read this one because there are so many practical tips that Mike shares and solid principles to follow, many of which could apply to teaching and business as well. After each chapter is a summary of the main points. Mike shares from his experiences at Duke and West Point to illustrate his points in a very interesting way.
This book is a "must read" for all Coaches who want to learn how to be successful in today's game. This book coupled with "Everyone Hates a Ball Hog but they All Love a Scorer" will give you the insight from the perspective of a Coach and Player. The stories are great and the lessons are even better. I myself have modeled my tatics both on the court and in life after some of Coach K's teachings. Everyone Hates a Ball Hog is a must read for basketball players that want to know how to become a elite basketball player. I recommend reading both of these CLASSICS.Everyone Hates a Ball Hog but they All Love a Scorer: The Complete Guide to Scoring Points on and off the Basketball Court
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