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A review of The Winner Within: A Life Plan for Team Players

by Pat Riley

How to apply the lessons of team sports to your everyday life

Reviewed by: Paul A. Paterson
About Paul A. Paterson

The Winner Within: A Life Plan for Team Players In basketball, teamwork is the key to success. According to Pat Riley, it's the key to success in life as well. In this book, Riley, who guided the Los Angeles Lakers to a series of NBA championships, takes anecdotes from his coaching career and draws parallels from the business world to create a fascinating guide to personal and professional development.

This book works on a number of levels. For the sports fan, Riley provides a peek inside the Lakers locker room when Magic Johnson was king, and follows the coach as he coaxes, cajoles and, at times, whips his team to back-to-back NBA titles. Along the way, he discusses how a coach, or any leader or manager, can use the concepts of team building to forge a focused, determined group committed to success. He explains how a good leader knows how to change roles as the needs of the group change -- sometimes pushing, sometimes pulling. Riley even shares an occasion when he engaged in a half-time tantrum in the locker room to shake his team out of a poor performance. The coach explains how he rehearsed the lecture in his head before the delivery, stressing his need to remain in control while the team believed he'd completely lost control.

Written in light, lively prose, Riley's book is easy to read but every page is packed with examples of how a manager can balance the leadership role while embodying the need to subvert personal glory for the benefit of the group. The lessons taught are suitable for business environments, family relationships and any atmosphere where cooperation is required for success. This makes it a valuable resource for anyone responsible for the performance of others.

Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: The Winner Within: A Life Plan for Team Players

Copyright © by Paul A. Paterson, 2002

Reviewed by Paul A. Paterson:
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