Getting the players to turn inward wasn’t always easy…
Before the trip I would select a book for each of the players to read, based on what I knew about them.
Phil Jackson, Eleven Rings:  The Soul of Success

——————–

More than once in his book Eleven Rings:  The Soul of Success, Phil Jackson mentioned that he gave books to his individual players.

{A reminder:  Phil Jackson, as coach, lead the Chicago Bulls to 6 rings (6 national championships), and the Los Angeles Lakers to 5 such rings.  This book is a trip down memory lane with Coach Jackson, filled with his leadership and team building wisdom}.

So, he gave individual books to his individual players.  He did not give the same book to each player.  He chose the right book for the circumstances/challenges of each player.  The books came from a wide array of arenas:  business books, spiritual books (more on the “Zen” side of spirituality), some “cultural observation” books.  Some players, he admitted, just trashed the books.  Others did not read them.  But some did…  and they made a difference in their success on the court, as well as success in their personal lives.

So, here is the obvious observation:

Phil Jackson knew his players individually, and he knew books.

In other words – he read widely.  And, he paid attention to his players.

So, if you are a leader, here are the two questions:

#1 — Do you know your team members, the ones you lead, as individuals?
#2 — Do you read widely enough to recommend specific books to each of your key people?

I think this is a remarkable window into Phil Jackson’s success.  And a pretty good challenge for us all.