Twenty-five percent of Americans never read. I'd wager heavy coin that the number is far lower among coaches. Coaches are educators. Educators are leaders. Authentic leaders read.
What books leave marks on coaches, regardless of sport? That's not to say don't read Dean Smith, John Wooden, Pete Newell, Pete Carril, or Bob Knight. Read widely. Leadership, philosophy, and history impact how we think.
Everyone finds their way. Not everyone takes advantage of available assets. I make observations and occasional suggestions but I don't tell anybody how to coach their team. They're at practice. They own it.
Here's a starter set of books and "the process" why.
Legacy (James Kerr) shares the leadership tradition of the New Zealand All-Blacks, their integration of Maori culture into sport. Each player understands his mission to "leave the jersey in a better place." They know "champions do extra."
Game Changer (Dr. Fergus Connolly) explores how games are played through the eyes of a specific sport, players, and coaching. I need to reread this, multiple times. It also frames the structure of each possession and conversion between them. A possession traverses initial spacing, player and ball movement, and the scoring moment.
Teach Like a Champion (Doug Lemov) gives specifics on classroom teaching which coaches can apply to coaching.
Thinking in Bets (Annie Duke) suggests we consider both probability and the intervention of luck in decision-making.
Tools of Titans (Ryan Holiday) shares interviews with a myriad of the rich and famous, in an out of sport. Most have mindfulness as a commonality. Did you know Arnold Schwarzenegger was a chess addict or that he leveraged building patios into a real estate empire, before he was famous? He also knew he wasn't the smartest guy, surrounding himself with others who were.
Atomic Habits (James Clear) represents the importance of making good habits easier and bad habits hard. A treadmill workout isn't so hard as getting on the treadmill in the first place.
Making Decisions (Ed Smith) challenges us to improve our decision-making by synching the strength of data and artificial intelligence with human creativity and intuition.
The Leadership Moment (Michael Useem) examines leaders who made critical decisions under extreme pressure with less regard for themselves than for the group. An example? Wagner Dodge built an "escape fire" at his feet to stop a raging forest fire, trying to save his men. Take time out to think.
Don't worry about reading them all. Find one and start there.
Lagniappe. It's always eye-opening the chasm between expectation and reality.
Lagniappe 2. I'm reading "Bill of Obligations." Perhaps that's more necessary than "Bill of Rights." Civility and civics both belong in a flourishing democracy.
