Leading with the Heart: Coach K's Successful Strategies for Basketball, Business, and Life Paperback – March 1, 2001

What a great book. There is a second one which is just as good. Coach K is not just a great coach, but also writer, and family man.

This is a good read! All coaches should read it. Great for leaders in non-sport-related roles.

"Leadership is the privilege of making differences for and through others." At least, this is my definition. I have read every significant book on leadership that has been published for the past ten years. I am a passionate student of the very subject that is my life's work: helping others in the business arena realize their potentials for greatness.At the outset of a leadership class not long ago, one of the questions I asked was, "What leaders past or present would you list as being truly great?" This was after we addressed "why leadership now" and "how we learn it." One individual listed two: Abraham Lincoln and Mike Krzyzewski. I'll never forget that.I had read Donald Phillips work, Lincoln on Leadership and LOVED it. When I saw that he and Coach K had collaborated, I KNEW I was in for a treat.I am as big a fan of college hoops,ACC particularly, and Blue Devils specifically (my hometown) as I am of leadership.There are HUGE lessons in the text for leaders at all levels. I've already captured one and e-mailed it to several leaders in business and industry.Coach K is to great team leadership at college level what Phil Jackson is at the NBA level. It's all about selflessness and compassion.I wish the book had been twice as long. I'm going to get the audio for reinforcement. He has many "quotables" throughout that people will want to remember.It's a powerful and emotional journey that's fun to take!This is the stuff from which great movies are made!

Good book. Good lessons. Resonated well with me because (A) I was at Duke in K's early years and (B) I'm now a CEO working to be a better leader.Where it excels: While many books say, "do this" K explains why you "do this," which makes the lesson much more valuable. Focuses specifically on interpersonal skills, rather than vague over-arching principles of some Forunte 100 CEO. Gives lots of examples and the fact that I witnessed many of them myself (albeit on TV) helped me understand. Summarizes the points at the end of each chapter (though this could be improved).Where it's weak: K himself says he wants honesty, so here it is: He needs more confidence as an author and to set his sights higher. It's a "good" leadership/basketball reminiscing book that could be a truly _great_ leadership-only book if it were better edited to spend less time on irrelevant details of some game in 1988 and more time on being concise. Those details are entertaining, but we're business leaders, we need people to get to the point. The publisher probably said it needed fluff to sell. However, I'll bet a second edition with less fluff and promoted more as a true management book would sell more. In K terminology, the "heart" of this book is in its leadership lessons. We've already seen the games.One other troubling aspect: contradictions. K will talk about honesty with players and media, then later cite a ploy with Brian Davis and "blowing smoke at the media" before the second UNLV game. Those should be clarified.Either way, I recommend it. Coach, you helped me learn.

Very interesting book with stories from the coach’s life. Easy read with good information about leading.

I have always known about Coach K but never really looked into him. Im from LA so there I was more into Phil Jackson, now if you like self-help or motivational speakers this is the book for you. It ties in life to basketball, it speaks from the voice of a leader, a provider, and most of all a father. Must read for anyone looking to make changes.

Coach K covers many of his formulas for success with managing basketball teams, and does it in a way that is immediately approachable and applicable daily when leading others.Here are a few highlights of my “favorites” from the book…3 Favorite Quotes:1. When you get better, we all get better2. You hear, you forget. You see, you remember. You do, you understand.3, It’s not what I know, it’s what you do that matters most.5 Components of a Successful Team:1. Communication (Ask for advice, conduct “huddles” with no BS)2. Collective Responsibility (Foster the idea that we win and we lose together)3. Trust (The team leader is the truth, he/she will tell you what you are doing right, and what you are screwing up)4. Caring (As the team leader, spend time with each person on the team no matter what is competing for your attention)5. Pride (Put your stamp on everything your team does)3 Questions for a Team Leader to Ask:1. How do you see our team? Our strengths? Our weaknesses?2. Do you see any problems?3. What do you think we need to work on?

This is a great book for sports lovers and leaders.