Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success

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He says that in every successful team, he’s coached, players had a clear idea of their role in the team. Sometimes focusing on something completely different than your current problem is the best way to solve that problem. Phil Jackson is a life poet, a man of compassion, empathy on a level most people aren’t even aware exists in other people.

Rings: The Soul of Success by Phil Jackson (Book Summary) 11 Rings: The Soul of Success by Phil Jackson (Book Summary)

Before the book, I would select a book for each of the players to read, based on what I knew about them.Phil wasn’t even interested in getting players to do as he said, he wanted them to think on their own so they could make their own decisions during the game. What’s more, obsessing about winning is a loser’s game: The most we can hope for is to create the best possible conditions for success, then let go of the outcome. Early in the season, the players had created a chant they would shout before each game, their hands joined together in a circle. Phil Jackson thought Jordan didn’t really have the magnetic personalities of Larry Bird or Magic Johnson.

Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success - The Rabbit Hole Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success - The Rabbit Hole

The rings Vilya and Narya went to Elven High King Gil-galad of Lindon, who entrusted Vilya to Elrond and Narya to Círdan, Elven lords of Rivendell and Mithlond, respectively. As Elrond tells it in The Fellowship of the Ring, the smiths of Eregion “received his aid and grew mighty in craft, whereas he learned all their secrets, and betrayed them, and forged secretly in the Mountain of Fire the One Ring to be their master. I didn't dictate to him what I wanted; I simply pushed him to think about the problem in a different way, mostly by asking him questions about the impact that this or that strategy might have on the team. His reputation was established as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 through 1998, during which Chicago won six NBA titles. I highly recommend it to anyone venturing into a leadership role or anyone that would like to further their thoughts on spirituality and it's role in building a team.

Another great insight from Eleven Rings is that Phil Jackson made it a point to get to know his players. Again from The Silmarillion: “While he wore the One Ring he could perceive all the things that were done by means of the lesser rings, and he could see and govern the very thoughts of those that wore them. Especially because of his resilience, iron-clad self-confidence, tireless work ethic and his relentless drive and will to win. This is just another way of repeating a key tenet in Eleven Rings: focus on the task at hand, don’t get lost in the past, and don’t worry about the future.

Eleven Rings by Phil Jackson | Waterstones

Rick, one of the players, said that Phil took a lot of pressure off the team by putting that pressure onto himself instead.I suppose there are better, more in-depth books if you want to read about team building or Buddhism. However, I think that fans of other sports and even some readers who may not be sports fans, but want to see how successful leaders build teams would like this book. He says he would put players in the position to fully realize their potential and then give them credit for their achievements. He says the beauty of the system is that every player counts and you can’t simply rely on the superstar to do something.