Leadership and management lessons from the sports world. The world's elite athletes and coaches achieve high performance through inspiring leadership, mental toughness, and direction-setting strategic choices. Harvard Business Review has talked to many of these high performers throughout the years to learn how their success translates to the world of business. If you read nothing else on management lessons from the world of sports, read these 10 articles by athletes, coaches, and leadership experts. We've combed through our archive and selected the articles that will best help you drive performance. This book will inspire you to: Improve on your weaknesses, not just your strengths Take care of your body for sustained mental performance Increase your confidence and manage your energy before an important event Turn a struggling team around Understand the limits of performance metrics Focus on long-term goals to overcome setbacks Understand where the analogy of sports and business doesn't work This collection of articles includes "Ferguson's Formula," by Anita Elberse with Sir Alex Ferguson; "Life's Work: An Interview with Greg Louganis"; "The Making of a Corporate Athlete," by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz; "The Tough Work of Turning a Team Around," by Bill Parcells; "How an Olympic Gold Medalist Learned to Perform Under Pressure: An Interview with Alex Gregory"; "Mental Preparation Secrets of Top Athletes, Entertainers, and Surgeons," an interview with Daniel McGinn by Sarah Green Carmichael; "SoulCycle's CEO on Sustaining Growth in a Faddish Industry," by Melanie Whelan; "Life's Work: An Interview with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar"; "Major League Innovation," by Scott D. Anthony; "Looking Past Performance in Your Star Talent," by Mark de Rond, Adrian Moorhouse, and Matt Rogan; "Life's Work: An Interview with Mikhail Baryshnikov"; "How the Best of the Best Get Better and Better," by Graham Jones; "Life's Work: An Interview with Joe Girardi"; "Why There Is an I in Team," by Mark de Rond; "Life's Work: An Interview with Andre Agassi"; and "Why Sports Are a Terrible Metaphor for Business," by Bill Taylor.

The best leaders know how to communicate clearly and persuasively. How do you stack up?If you read nothing else on communicating effectively, read these 10 articles. We’ve combed through hundreds of articles in the Harvard Business Review archive and selected the most important ones to help you express your ideas with clarity and impact—no matter what the situation. Leading experts such as Deborah Tannen, Jay Conger, and Nick Morgan provide the insights and advice you need to: Pitch your brilliant idea—successfully Connect with your audience Establish credibility Inspire others to carry out your vision Adapt to stakeholders’ decision-making style Frame goals around common interests Build consensus and win support

Learn to be a better negotiator--and achieve the outcomes you want. If you read nothing else on how to negotiate successfully, read these 10 articles. We've combed through hundreds of Harvard Business Review articles and selected the most important ones to help you avoid common mistakes, find hidden opportunities, and win the best deals possible. This book will inspire you to: Control the negotiation before you enter the room Persuade others to do what you want--for their own reasons Manage emotions on both sides of the table Understand the rules of negotiating across cultures Set the stage for a healthy relationship long after the ink has dried Identify what you can live with and when to walk away This collection of articles includes: "Six Habits of Merely Effective Negotiators" by James K. Sebenius; "Control the Negotiation Before It Begins" by Deepak Malhotra; "Emotion and the Art of Negotiation" by Alison Wood Brooks; "Breakthrough Bargaining" by Deborah M. Kolb and Judith Williams; "15 Rules for Negotiating a Job Offer" by Deepak Malhotra; "Getting to Si, Ja, Oui, Hai, and Da" by Erin Meyer; "Negotiating Without a Net: A Conversation with the NYPD's Dominick J. Misino" by Diane L. Coutu; "Deal Making 2.0: A Guide to Complex Negotiations" by David A. Lax and James K. Sebenius; "How to Make the Other Side Play Fair" by Max H. Bazerman and Daniel Kahneman; "Getting Past Yes: Negotiating as if Implementation Mattered" by Danny Ertel; "When to Walk Away from a Deal" by Geoffrey Cullinan, Jean-Marc Le Roux, and Rolf-Magnus Weddigen.

A “captivating”* look at how center fielder Curt Flood's refusal to accept a trade changed Major League Baseball forever. After the 1969 season, the St. Louis Cardinals traded their star center fielder, Curt Flood, to the Philadelphia Phillies, setting off a chain of events that would change professional sports forever. At the time there were no free agents, no no-trade clauses. When a player was traded, he had to report to his new team or retire. Unwilling to leave St. Louis and influenced by the civil rights movement, Flood chose to sue Major League Baseball for his freedom. His case reached the Supreme Court, where Flood ultimately lost. But by challenging the system, he created an atmosphere in which, just three years later, free agency became a reality. Flood’s decision cost him his career, but as this dramatic chronicle makes clear, his influence on sports history puts him in a league with Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali. *The Washington Post

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, basketball legend and the NBA's alltime leading scorer, champions a lineup of little-known African-American inventors in this lively, kid-friendly book. Did you know that James West invented the microphone in your cell phone? That Fred Jones invented the refrigerated truck that makes supermarkets possible? Or that Dr. Percy Julian synthesized cortisone from soy, easing untold people’s pain? These are just some of the black inventors and innovators scoring big points in this dynamic look at several unsung heroes who shared a desire to improve people’s lives. Offering profiles with fast facts on flaps and framed by a funny contemporary story featuring two feisty twins, here is a nod to the minds behind the gamma electric cell and the ice-cream scoop, improvements to traffic lights, open-heart surgery, and more — inventors whose ingenuity and perseverance against great odds made our world safer, better, and brighter. Back matter includes an authors’ note and sources.

Through numerous examples from sports, highlighted by interviews from distinguished players and coaches around the world, de Rond shows what team leaders can learn by focusing on the individuals within them.

Former NBA star and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Kareem Abdul-Jabbar explores his 50-year friendship with Coach John Wooden, one of the most enduring and meaningful relationships in sports history. When future NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was still an 18-year-old high school basketball prospect from New York City named Lew Alcindor, he accepted a scholarship from UCLA largely on the strength of Coach John Wooden's reputation as a winner. It turned out to be the right choice, as Alcindor and his teammates won an unprecedented three NCAA championship titles. But it also marked the beginning of one of the most extraordinary and enduring friendships in the history of sports. In Coach Wooden and Me, Abdul-Jabbar reveals the inspirational story of how his bond with John Wooden evolved from a history-making coach-player mentorship into a deep and genuine friendship that transcended sports, shaped the course of both men's lives, and lasted for half a century. Coach Wooden and Me is a stirring tribute to the subtle but profound influence that Wooden had on Kareem as a player, and then as a person, as they began to share their cultural, religious, and family values while facing some of life's biggest obstacles. From his first day of practice, when the players were taught the importance of putting on their athletic socks properly; to gradually absorbing the sublime wisdom of Coach Wooden's now famous "Pyramid of Success"; to learning to cope with the ugly racism that confronted black athletes during the turbulent Civil Rights era as well as losing loved ones, Abdul-Jabbar fondly recalls how Coach Wooden's fatherly guidance not only paved the way for his unmatched professional success but also made possible a lifetime of personal fulfillment. Full of intimate, never-before-published details and delivered with the warmth and erudition of a grateful student who has learned his lessons well, Coach Wooden and Me is at once a celebration of the unique philosophical outlook of college basketball's most storied coach and a moving testament to the all-conquering power of friendship. Instant New York Times and USA Today Bestseller President Barack Obama's Favorite Book of 2017 A Boston Globe and Huffington Post Best Book of 2017 Pick

A year's worth of management wisdom, all in one place. We've reviewed the ideas, insights, and best practices from the past year of Harvard Business Review to keep you up-to-date on the most cutting-edge, influential thinking driving business today. With authors from Marcus Buckingham to Amy Edmondson and company examples from Lyft to Disney, this volume brings the most current and important management conversations right to your fingertips. This book will inspire you to: Rethink whether constant, candid feedback really helps employees thrive Move beyond diversity and inclusion to creating a racially just workplace Adopt connected strategies that anticipate your customers' needs Navigate the challenges of dual-career relationships Understand when data creates competitive advantage—and when it doesn't Break through the organizational barriers that impede AI initiatives Lead in a new era of climate action This collection of articles includes “The Feedback Fallacy,” by Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall; “Cross-Silo Leadership,” by Tiziana Casciaro, Amy C. Edmondson, and Sujin Jang; “Toward a Racially Just Workplace,” by Laura Morgan Roberts and Anthony J. Mayo; “The Age of Continuous Connection,” by Nicolaj Siggelkow and Christian Terwiesch; “The Hard Truth about Innovative Cultures,” by Gary P. Pisano; “Creating a Trans-Inclusive Workplace,” by Christian N. Thoroughgood, Katina B. Sawyer, and Jennica R. Webster; “When Data Creates Competitive Advantage,” by Andrei Hagiu and Julian Wright; “Your Approach to Hiring Is All Wrong,” by Peter Cappelli; “How Dual-Career Couples Make It Work,” by Jennifer Petriglieri; “Building the AI-Powered Organization,” by Tim Fountaine, Brian McCarthy, and Tamim Saleh; “Leading a New Era of Climate Action,” by Andrew Winston; and “That Discomfort You’re Feeling Is Grief,” by Scott Berinato.

Create and sustain a culture of learning. If you read nothing else on learning, read these 10 articles by experts in the field. We've combed through hundreds of Harvard Business Review articles and selected the most important ones to help you keep your skills fresh and relevant, support continuous improvement on your team, and prepare everyone in the organization to thrive over the long term. This book will inspire you to: Cultivate relentless curiosity Magnify your strengths and make yourself indispensable Nurture a growth mindset in yourself and others Deliver actionable feedback to help every employee excel Transform today's failure into tomorrow's success Reimagine your employee-development program Build a learning organization This collection of articles includes "Learning to Learn," by Erika Andersen; "Making Yourself Indispensable," by John H. Zenger, Joseph R. Folkman, and Scott K. Edinger; "Find the Coaching in Criticism," by Sheila Heen and Douglas Stone; "Teaching Smart People How to Learn," by Chris Argyris; "The Feedback Fallacy," by Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall; "The Leader as Coach," by Herminia Ibarra and Anne Scoular; "Strategies for Learning from Failure," by Amy C. Edmondson; "Learning in the Thick of It," by Marilyn Darling, Charles Parry, and Joseph Moore; "Is Yours a Learning Organization?" by David A. Garvin, Amy C. Edmondson, and Francesca Gino; "Why Organizations Don't Learn," by Francesca Gino and Bradley Staats; "The Transformer CLO," by Abbie Lundberg and George Westerman; and "The Right Mindset for Success," an interview with Carol Dweck by Sarah Green Carmichael. HBR's 10 Must Reads paperback series is the definitive collection of books for new and experienced leaders alike. Leaders looking for the inspiration that big ideas provide, both to accelerate their own growth and that of their companies, should look no further. HBR's 10 Must Reads series focuses on the core topics that every ambitious manager needs to know: leadership, strategy, change, managing people, and managing yourself. Harvard Business Review has sorted through hundreds of articles and selected only the most essential reading on each topic. Each title includes timeless advice that will be relevant regardless of an ever‐changing business environment.

What’s heaven to seven-year-old Andre Agassi? To never play tennis again. Yet his father has other plans. Mike Agassi was born in Iran, where Allied soldiers gave him a racket after the war and introduced him to the game. He shaves without soap or cream, boxed in the Olympics, and speaks five languages. The sixth is tennis. And his greatest dream is for his son to become number one in the world. A selection from the acclaimed autobiography Open, this is the tumultuous first confrontation between father and son, between the lines of the court: a searching portrait of Agassi before fame and success.