Walk Off Winning

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.

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