Product Description

The pro basketball coach and popular motivational speaker presents his recipe for leadership, personal growth, and control of shifting dynamics, showing how to forge strong groups that can work together to create success.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #139976 in Books
• Published on: 1994-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Customer Reviews

The old Chicken or the Egg controversy, again!
I've listend to Pat Riley speak on Charlie Rose's show on PBS and have been impressed with his ability to discuss the concepts of teamwork and leadership and obviously his winning record with different teams speaks for itself but somehow this book was unsatisfying. Oh, I think he has identified a number of significant areas in regard to team play like the "Disease of Me" (selfishness that ruins team play), the team's Core Covenant (which can be both good and bad -- how many of us work in environments whose only core covenant is "cover your a#$"), and complacency (when teams begin to taste success) but what got me was his use of the Lakers of the 80s to illustrate his points. What I couldn't help thinking was that Riley wasn't using his theories (The Egg) to shape his leadership of the Lakers but rather he used his experience with the Lakers (The Chicken) to create his theories. So which came first? Everything he outlines in his theory is matched by an experience he has had with his team. Doesn't this sound a bit too much like revisionist history? I particularly found it hard to swallow when he rationalized his leaving of the Lakers as a moment when a "team player" must go solo (Moving On). I had the sense that had he stayed with the Lakers his book would have added another chapter on perservering rather than leaving. A good theory informs and influences our practices. I think Mr. Riley has gone in the opposite direction and used a good practice (experience) to inform his theory. Unfortunately, I think this makes his book MUCH LESS APPLICABLE to all of us who want to learn how to lead teams and become winners. Just maybe, Pat, you won because of guys named Magic, Jabbar and Worhy rather than any theories about winning . . . What do you think? Maybe if I am going to coach the Lakers , I'll pick this book up again. Then again maybe not. I don't even like the Lakers and Magic isn't coming back again. Or is he?. You know, I have Phil Jackson's Sacred Hoops book on my shelf and I am afraid to begin it because it might be just like this one.

Well Written
A very good book with good ideas that can be used in the business world as well as with accomplishing personal issues. Pat's examples have been an inspiration to many others. It seems to me that Pat Riley has the vision and the plan to be successful in almost any line of business he chooses in spite of some criticism from the way he handled leaving the New York Knicks.

Pat Riley is a winner. He can teach others to win!
Pat Riley has been a winner as a player and as a coach. He's one of the few people I know who can tell you why he's a winner. Some people call that being a conscious competent. He's good and he knows why he's good. A person like that can teach others. He won as a player at Kentucky; he won at Los Angeles as a coach; he won at New York as a coach. That's a lot of winning. This book will help you develop the habit of winning in your life, which is the purpose of a self-help book. He gets a little technical at places which is why I only rated the book an "8." But it's worth the read. One of the best "coach books" I've read.