Become a doer. Motivation and strategies from a top figure in sports leadership
There are many books available on the topic of leadership, but none quite like this one. Walk Off Winning: A Game Plan for Leading Your Team and Organization to Success is the work of Steve Trimper - a college baseball coach who shares what he has learned about business through his extensive leadership experience in high-level sports. In addition to reflecting on his own failures and successes, Trimper interviews leadership experts to distill a wealth of wisdom into this valuable book.
Inside, you’ll read about the key principles of team building, culture, and organization building. If you are looking for a way to enhance your leadership, whether you lead a team of one or an entire organization, Walk Off Winning is for you. This book will give you the motivation and strategies to “become a doer.” Anyone involved in leadership, sports management, or the general business world will benefit from the inspirational anecdotes and honest advice in this much sought-after guide for leaders of all kinds.
- Discover the key principles of team building that apply in every organization and setting
- Gain the motivation you need to stop waiting around for success and “become a doer”
- Learn from the real-world successes and failures of a top leader in high-level sports
- Get inspired to take an honest look at your opportunities for leadership growth
From the sports field to the business office, good leadership in any arena shares a single, universal foundation. If you want to achieve your dreams, you’ll have to learn to Walk Off Winning.
Table of Contents
Foreword xvii
Introduction xxi
Less Inside Baseball, More Inside Leadership xxii
Learning from Coaches, Mentors, and Other Great Leaders xxiv
Chapter 1 You Need Values, But Keep Them Simple 1
The Flowchart of True Success 2
Be Selective When Establishing Values 3
Improve What You Already Have 5
Chapter 2 Never Underestimate the Power of Giving 11
Create a Foundation for Success 11
A Gift of Giving Might Be Right Under Your Nose 15
Giving Leads to Loyalty 17
Chapter 3 Attitude and the Power of the Handshake 21
Attitude is Highly Contagious 22
Sharing Attitude by Means of a Handshake 23
Change Your Thought Process to One of Positivity 25
You Choose Your Attitude 26
Be a Grinder, and Deal with Setbacks 29
Fight through the “Muck” 29
Chapter 4 The Communicator Wins 33
The First and Best Form of Communication 33
Become Comfortable Communicating in Person 35
We All Love a Good Storyteller 36
Communication Pays Off 38
The Power of a Personality 43
Charisma 44
Don’t Dominate the Conversation 45
Chapter 5 I Always Got Hits Because My Shoelaces Were Tucked In 47
Follow Planned Routines 48
Wasting Time on What You Can’t Influence 49
Control the Controllables 50
It’s Fun to Be a “Little Stitious” 51
Chapter 6 Leaders Lead the Way 55
John and His New Boss 55
Dictator Leadership 61
Servant Leadership 63
Empowerment Leadership 64
Relying on Both Forms of Leadership 66
Chapter 7 Are You a Brick with Mortar? 69
True Toughness 70
Learn to Compete 71
Bricks and Mortar 74
Learn to “Pivot” with Your Mortar 76
Chapter 8 The Value of Real Energy 79
Real versus Fake Energy 80
Don’t Give Up and Don’t Be a Lake 82
Optimistic or Embellishment? 85
Chapter 9 Good Impressions 89
“Surround Yourself with Good People” 90
Be on the Lookout for Values 91
Learn from Communicating 93
30 Seconds 94
“Recruit Ready” 96
You Need a Personality 98
Chapter 10 White-Tailed Deer and Career Progression 103
Ready to Change the World 104
Take Your Time - You Don’t Know It All Just Yet 106
The Beauty and Life of a White-Tailed Deer 107
You Pick, and Mentor, Your Team 112
Chapter 11 Fall Forward When You Fail - and You’re Gonna Fail! 117
In and Out of Your Control 118
People Want You to Fail 120
Fail and Move Forward 121
Be Responsible and Positive in Times of Failure 123
Chapter 12 Keep Chopping Wood: Pressure versus Preparation 127
Relationships Lead to Wins 128
The Alfond Way 129
“Keep Chopping Wood” 131
“Sharpen Your Axe” 134
With the Right Mindset, You are Capable of Anything 138
Tackle Crisis Management Head On 140
Chapter 13 Ego: You Better Have One 143
Crank Up Your Ego - Sometimes 145
Think Big 147
Circle the Wagons 149
Invest in Values 149
Build the Team’s Confidence 153
Tone People Down, Not Up 154
Stubbornness Can Be a Good Trait 155
Chapter 14 The Art of Decompression 159
Recharge Your Batteries 160
You’ve Earned a Break 161
Hone Your Focus Skill 162
Lock In 164
Burn Those Lines in the Grass 166
Find Something You’re Good at and Use It as Your Outlet 167
Chapter 15 Winners versus Losers 169
Team versus Program 170
True Toughness 171
Winners and Losers 173
Compete, Compete, Compete 175
Chapter 16 The 5 Percent Rule 179
Be Better Every Day 180
The Power of a Group 181
Focus on Small Efforts for Long-Term Success 184
Be Great at Little Things 185
Chapter 17 Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda: Get Rid of It 187
Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda and the “Negative Nellie” 188
Move People in the Same Direction 189
Neutralizing the Negative Nellie 194
“There is No ‘I’ in T-E-A-M” 194
Chapter 18 Be a Doer, Not a Talker 199
We “Do” Our Wedding Vows, Not Just “Say” Them 200
Don’t Just Talk the Talk 202
How I Learned to “Do” 202
Invest in Relationships 206
Nike: “Just Do It” 208
Chapter 19 True Success 211
1. Surround Yourself with Good People, and Good Things Happen 213
2. Relationships: Work at It 215
3. Trust 218
4. Loyalty, the Final Path to Success 220
True Success Isn’t About Money, Possessions, or Fame 221
The Puzzle Changes 222
Afterword 225
Acknowledgments 229
About the Author 235
Index 237
