The Business Playbook by Brandon Steiner

The author, Brandon Steiner, CEO and founder of Steiner Sports in New Rochelle, New York, a leader in sports marketing and collectibles, takes lessons on leadership, strategy, planning, and success, learned from working with some of the greatest athletes, coaches, and managers in sports, and applies them to the business world. He condenses their personal stories and experiences, drawing upon them to see how they can be applied to achieve success at work, in business, and in life in general.

His roster includes more than 500 professional athlete superstars from virtually every major sport, including baseball, soccer, basketball, football, hockey, golf, and tennis. Steiner has signed sports greats like Mark Messier, Derek Jeter, Jeremy Shockey, Chad Pennington, Sandy Koufax, Mia Hamm, Walter Payton, Muhammad Ali, and Mark McGwire. Steiner also shares his own principles, and the business philosophies that helped him build his company from a $4,000 initial investment to a $35 million enterprise. A quote from Franco Harris, one of the NFL's all-time great running backs, "What it takes to win in sports and business are similar", could be seen as the underlying theme of this collection of stories and anecdotes, that Steiner condenses in an entertaining and insightful text.

Road Map

The road to achieving goals and reaching success starts with a map. You have to know where you're going. According to coach Bill Parcells, who won Super Bowls XXI and XXV with the New York Giants, and then led the New England Patriots to Super Bowl XXX, "He who doesn't have a map gets lost".

A goal is a dream with a date on it. Baseball Hall of Famer Gary Carter wanted to make the major leagues by age 21. He made it at 20, playing for the Montreal Expos. And the secrets to success do not have to be too complicated. Red Auerbach, coach of the Boston Celtics, said they had seven plays on offense, and Bill Russell touched the ball on every one.

Following a road map also means choosing your destination and measuring your achievements against your goals. Los Angeles Lakers coach Pat Riley, who led his teams to five NBA championships, had charts of everything that happened in the game. Goals must be specific, must have a date for completion, and must be realistically achievable. Goals need to be broken down into steps to be followed, and sometimes the trip has to be rearranged. The experiences of another basketball great "Earl the Pearl" Monroe are shared, describing how he switched gears from a personal scoring goal to a team championship goal with the New York Knicks.

Being Passionate and Positive

Finding your niche is about finding your passion and working with the best, and most positive people you can find. Mia Hamm, one of the world's greatest female soccer players, three-time U.S. Soccer athlete of the year, who won four consecutive NCAA titles with the University of North Carolina, shares how she needed to know that she made a difference to her team.

On staying positive, Joe Torre, the New York Yankees manger, is quoted on how he focused on the things he could control and didn't worry about the things he couldn't control. And reference is also made to what Torre thought about teamwork. Creating a team means putting together a group of individuals who care as much about the people around them as they do about themselves - people who will work toward a common goal.

Motivation

Steiner talks about waking up nervous as part of the key to success - excitement and energy power the day. Tom Landry, the NFL coach who led the Dallas Cowboys to five NFC championships and two Super Bowls, is quoted as saying that "The drive to succeed comes from inside". Fear is something that great athletes also face, but they overcome their fear and do it anyway. Frank Robinson, on how he handled being the first in so many ways, responded, "I handle it by not thinking about it. You keep the focus on the situation at hand, and let everything take care of itself".

Being motivated is about seeing the light - keeping your eyes on the prize and knowing why you want to make things happen. Stay on top of your game and do your homework. Derek Jeter, a baseball great, worked out every day during the off season. Joe Gibbs, a workaholic of a football coach, never stopped watching films of the game. It helped him take the Washington Redskins to several Super Bowls. And, when you reach success, it is not the time to rest on your laurels. According to Pat Riley, "The temptation to slack off starts when you're feeling good about who you are and what you've achieved".

Purpose

There is a fundamental purpose underlying our goals. Steiner tells how his driving purpose is meeting the needs of other people. And fundamental to this is caring about other people. Being a leader is also about being aware of what the people around you need. Mark Messier of the New York Rangers, after winning the Stanley Cup, recognized everyone, including the equipment people and the locker room boys. He always greets everyone with the same smile, the same handshake, and the same friendly attitude. Bill Russell, instead of talking about 11 NBA championships in 13 years, talked about Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach, known as the "Great Motivator", and how much Auerbach's support and credibility with the players meant to him. About Larry Bird, another great Boston Celtic, his competitors said that when he had the ball, you never knew what he was going to do. He was always thinking about everyone else, and how he could make them look good. Maurice Lucas said of Bill Walton, the great center from UCLA and then the Portland Trailblazers, "You help your teammates play better basketball." John Wooden, coach of the UCLA Bruins, didn't talk about winning - he talked about life's great lessons - the constant quest to be the best they were capable of being - a sense of purpose.

Going Above and Beyond

Great athletes, who people admire and respect, go the extra mile. The same is true in order to be successful in business and to lead an enriching and satisfying life. Under-promise and over-deliver. Every one of us is in our own service business, and the little things add up to be enormously important. Long after his career was over, Mickey Mantle would sit in a booth in his restaurant in New York City, greeting people, signing autographs, and having pictures taken. He always made sure people were satisfied with the job he was doing when he made public appearances.

Being Optimistic

One of Steiner's favorite phrases is "you never know". This is about being optimistic, and trusting your instincts. Sometimes you have to go with a hunch. It is also about treating everyone like gold, and every situation as an opportunity. Gary Carter, a great catcher in baseball, was traded by the Montreal Expos after coming off his best year. He went to the New York Mets, and in his second year there, they won the World Series. You never know. Dave Winfield missed the 1989 season with a back operation. He returned in 1990, at age 38, and over the next four years he hit 96 homers and had 348 runs batted in. He reached his 3,000th hit in 1993. He transformed what could have been the end of his career into a new resurgence.

Focus and Practice

Great athletes become great by being focused. They are prepared and professional, and they practice. Tiger Woods started practicing his golf swing when he was five. Michael Jordan grew up playing basketball on the playgrounds of Wilmington, North Carolina. Wayne Gretsky skated from morning until night on an ice rink his father built in back of his home.

Being focused and prepared includes knowing all you can about your business - the more you know, the more you can do. Walt Frazier was a great basketball player, and then he worked and studied and did the research to become a great broadcaster. The best sports stars are always looking for ways to improve themselves. New York Giant's linebacker Harry Carson worked extraordinarily hard to make each leap, first to play high school football, then from high school to college, and finally to the NFL, where he and his Giants teammates earned a reputation as one of the great defenses of all times.

Good Enough is Not Enough

According to Steiner, "nothing changes if nothing changes". Dynamic dissatisfaction drives change toward more than what is "good enough". Michael Jordan perfected his perimeter shot, to complement his driving and leaping ability. Discipline was a constant in his life. He was a dogged competitor and never wanted to lose in anything. Another Steinerism is, "If it ain't broke, break it." Stay out of the routine because routines don't help you grow. Make little changes, one at a time, and plan the next few as you go. Make incremental and long-lasting changes.

Opportunity in Adversity

On the road to success, you're going to meet adversity and failure a few times. Billie Jean King worked to overcome the obstacles that women athletes faced in the 1950s and 60s and became a trailblazer off the court as well as on. Jim Brown, the great fullback for the Cleveland Browns, ignored people who told him he couldn't average over five yards per carry, or that he couldn't gain 1,000 yards in 12 games. Great athletes overcome the naysayers and the odds. They adapt their goals to reality, and they never stop trying. Bill Walton overcame 30 operations on his feet and earned two NBA championships, and has also gained fame as a broadcaster. Adversity is part of the road, and we must learn to accept it and keep going, and see the opportunity in the adversity.

Finally, Steiner points out that success, for the sport legends and for all of us, is not a one-time incident. Success should be seen as a habit. You can get addicted to success. After you're reached a goal, find a new challenge. Pursue success in all aspects of life.