BOOK OF THE WEEK: "7 Commitments of a Great Team" by Jon Gordon

Jon Gordon's latest book, the "7 Commitments of a Great Team," could not have come out at a better time. It was released on May 20 - nearly a week before Cornell men's lacrosse won it's fourth National Championship and first one in 48 years. 

Cornell was the number one team in the country this year with the best collegiate player, who some even say may be the best lacrosse player in the game today, C.J. Kirst. 

Kirst carried a 65-game streak of recording at least one point in to the Big Red's national semifinal game against Penn State. That streak came to end that day, but Cornell stayed alive and headed to the title game on Memorial Day. 

I was fortunate enough to be at Gillette Stadium working alongside, host, Harvard University's athletic communications team during the NCAA Lacrosse Championships. It was at halftime of the championship game I was walking back to the press box when I ran into Jon Gordon - an alum of the Cornell men's lacrosse team - in attendance. 

The 2025 Cornell men's lacrosse team embodied all seven of these commitments to being a great team, that's why they are champions. 

The first commitment is being committed to "Valuing Each Other." This is one of the commitments the main protagonist, Tim, added last to make it 7 Commitments. His reasoning was simple. When you consistently making effort to provide positive, pointed feedback at your teammates and/or employees, you're going to always get the best of out of them. The key is to find something specific to compliment them on. 

Next is the commitment to "Vision and Mission of the Team." During my Newbury days our crew worked so well as a team we had the phrase "One Team One Dream." We were One Team together and didn't let the outside noise from other departments divide us. It's too easy to become divided when you let what happens on the outside leak in. That's why the most important job of any leader is to "run interference" for their staff. 

The following commitment is ultra important. It's the commitment to "Staying Positive Together." It's really easy to stay positive when things are going well and you're winning. But when you have to tackle all the different curveballs life throws at you, it becomes harder. Things are going to happen. Mistakes are going to made. Losses are going happen. But don't jump off the roller coaster.  Stay the course and stay positive, because positivity is contagious. 

Always be committed to "Giving Your Best" everyday. Now your best is going to change from day-to-day, but when you are committed to always giving your best each day, you will find your things start working out for you. 

This leads into the next commitment - "Commit to Getting Better" each day. In this chapter, Coach Richie brings up up the old saying "today's paper wraps tomorrow's fish." All that means is what got you to this level won't get you to next level and might not make you great tomorrow. Always strive to keep improving yourself, even after wins. 

The sixth commitment is is the "Commit to Connect" by getting to know your teammates and letting them get to know you. When you know your teammates (and your fellow colleagues) you begin to know what what drives them and what hardships they faced. You become more empathetic. And when you let others people in, let them know your own difficulties and challenges you're facing, they will be there to support you. In isolation you are week, but when you come together you become stronger. 

It flows nicely into the seventh and final commitment: "Committing to Each Other." Feedback is a gift, learn to appreciate it. Sometimes feedback can sting a bit, as humans we never like to hear criticism about ourselves or our performances, but if your team has mastered the fifth sixth commitment and are committed to connecting with each other it lessens the sting. Be committed to asking for feedback about how you can do better and be better. 

BLOG: Jarren Duran & The Importance of Not Reacting

Let me preface that as much as Jarren Duran's mental health struggles are real, the issue with Duran lies
much deeper than just his mental health. 

Last year, Duran was suspended last year for inappropriate and derogatory language in response to another heckler at Fenway Park. And that heckler said nothing inappropriate just making a  comment about how Duran "needed a f'en tennis racquet" - it was quite funny. 

Now, this year the comment directed at Duran was completely inappropriate, but it didn't necessitate Duran's reaction. Duran's reaction was not appropriate of a Major League Baseball player. 

Yes, players are all human and they experience the same feelings everyone else does, but they are at the pinnacle of their field in Major League Baseball. They are the best of the best and whether they like or not they are always in the spot light and how they react is always on center stage. 

To those who are a familiar with Dude Perfect, you know Tyler Toney is known as a the "Face Of Dude Perfect." He's the front man. The guy who's always taking the hard shot and doing the interviews when they need one person to speak, that the rest of the guy's came up with an acronym "S.T.B.T.F" - "Sucks To Be The Face." 

When Jackie Robinson broke into the the majors as the first black player, he was given specific directions from Branch Rickey to not react. There were going to be fans that weren't happy about the decision, segregation was still a thing and there were going to be hotel staff and restaurant staff who were going to deny him, but it was on him that he couldn't react. If he reacted it would've made things worse. 

It's a similar situation that Duran faces. He was brave enough to put himself out there and admit his mental health struggles publicly, but now the next step is realizing there are going to be jerks out there like the Cleveland fan who are going to say nasty stuff. But Duran can't control that, he can only control his reaction to it and resist the urge to verbally or physically react. 

It's not easy, but it's the next hurdle Duran needs to conquer in order to become great. Not letting the critiques of the fans get to him or trigger him. When he does that he will be unbreakable. 

BLOG: IVY CHAMPS! The Harvard/Carrie Moore Model

"What I told the team yesterday was it's not about me at all. It is very much about them. Myself and my staff will work tirelessly to help make this program relevant again.  I believe there is no better job in the country than this one and I'm so excited to get to work." - April, 2022

Those are the words of Carrie Moore in her introductory press conference as The Kathy Delaney-Smith Head Coach of Harvard Women's Basketball back in April, 2022. Flash forward three years later, Coach Moore certainly delivered on her promise - maybe even OVER delivered. 

Don’t mind me, just handling some housekeeping items…#GoCrimson x #BelieveIt pic.twitter.com/TWhxw9PV0F

— Harvard Women's Basketball (@HarvardWBB) March 17, 2025

The Crimson had their best season since 1997-98 with a 24-4 overall record, which included winning the Ivy Madness Championship and earning a bid into the NCAA Tournament. They were also the top defensive team in the country, allowing average of just 52 points in games. Offensively, they were led by senior Harmoni Turner, who registered 40-plus points, twice - once in the Ivy semifinals. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Harvard Women's Basketball (@harvardwbb)

But before Harvard could even get to this point, Coach Moore had a lot of work to do. 

Turner was recruited by Moore's predecessor, the legendary Kathy Delaney-Smith. A Texas native, Turner could have easily transferred when she learned the coach who recruited her was retiring. But Moore was able to win over Turner. It's no easy task and the hardest job as a new coach. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Harvard Women's Basketball (@harvardwbb)

This season Moore brought excitement to Lavietes Pavilion. The Harvard women were must see entertainment - and senior Harmoni Turner helped out with that. On November 14, hosting Boston College, Turner set a new program record, dropping 41 points on the Eagles in an eight point, 78-70, win. The Crimson went on to go 4-0 against Division I teams in Massachusetts (UMass, BC, Northeastern and BU). 

And they are not done yet. One more game against #7 Michigan State. 

#BelieveIT

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Harvard Women's Basketball (@harvardwbb)

BOOK OF THE WEEK: "How To Live Like The Little Prince" by Stephane Garnier

The last time I read "The Little Prince" it was in high school - in french. So we were reading "Le Petit Prince" and yes it was  hard to follow and confusing especially since on the first page was a picture of hat or a snake after it ate an elephant. But I digress. (Occupational hazard.) 

Five key principles learned from this book that everyone needs to take note of: 

1. #BelieveIT

There is a reason why Harvard women's basketball has the tagline #B
elieveIt. Everything happens for a reason. Believing is extremely powerful. If you can believe it and visualize it, then you can achieve it. In just her third year at the helm of the Crimson and following a legend in Kathy Delaney-Smith, Head Coach Carrie Moore has many people talking about Harvard. 

Earlier this season, they beat a nationally-ranked team in Indiana - the mecca of college basketball. Senior guard Harmony Turner dropped a whopping 40 points and new single-game record in a win over on Power Five school in Boston College. The Crimson are 4-0 against Massachusetts opponents - UMass, Boston College, Northeastern and Boston University. 

Listen to Coach Moore. Believe it you guys, Believe It! 

2. Take Care of Yourself

There MIGHT be some people who may or may not have to read this chapter of the book once every morning. I'm not saying who those people are but they are out there and they know who they are. We all know someone, or maybe it's yourself, that fits into this category. 

It's important to make time for yourself and do things that make you happy. Remember what flight attendants say at the beginning of all flights in case of a lose of cabin pressure "put your own oxygen mask on first." If you're not taking care of yourself, then how can you take care of others? 

And also disconnect from your phone and other aspects of technology. You never know when the last time you speak with someone will truly be the last time. 

I'll leave the chapter below so those people can read here. 

3. Escape From Reality

We can get so caught up in everyday life, going to work, cleaning, doing laundry, dropping kids off at school, that we lose sight of that child-like wonder. We forget what it's like to be a child. Remember to step aside and to channel your inner Topanga Lawrence. "Use a mirror, babe." 

4. Connect To Others / Never Lose The Child-like Wonder

There is power in vulnerability. Ever realize that when a group of children get together how quickly they warm up to each other? This is something that is lost as we get older. As we grow into adults we want to stay in our own little bubble. If something seems uncomfortable we put up walls around ourselves to keep people out. We have to do better at taring down those walls and letting others in. Never lose that child-like wonder. 

5. Knowing When to Leave

At some point in our lives we chose a path and move forward with it because it our passion. As the years progress things change, we change and what drives us changes, but we still keep going down the same path. We never take the bold step to start a new chapter of our lives and do something different. It's important ot know when to leave. 

Bonus: P & H -- Positive and Humble 

This was the mantra of the late Boston College men's basketball media contact Dick Kelley. He always preached this to his student-athletes, interns and assistants. In the moment it may not feel like anything, but it will play out in the long term. Look at the YouTube sensations DudePerfect and FazeRug. Combined by they have over 80 million subscribers, but they remain incredibly humble. 

BLOG: The Shawn & Jack Brothers Multiverse Theory

The "Boy Meets World" re-watch podcast hosted by Danielle Fishel, Rider Strong and Will Friedle is one the top podcasts right now. But there still seems to be an issue with Shawn Hunter's family. He had a sister - Stacy - in the very first season; then in the third season Eddie came along as his half-brother. All this before Matthew Lawrence came on board as a full-time cast member in season five as Shawn's half-brother, Jack,- allegedly sharing, Chet, as the parent. 

Trying to figure out Shawn's family tree is mind boggling. (Yeah I know it's a '90s TV sitcom, they were horrible with continuity back then.) 

Maybe, just maybe ... here it is ... Shawn and Jack are not really half-brothers, but FULL brothers. Crazy theory, huh? But just hang with me here. 

After Chet succumb to a massive heart attack in season six, the following season, Virna, the woman that Shawn always knew as his mother, informed him that she was not his biological mother. In a later scene, Shawn went to the cemetery, Chet's ghost appears and tells Shawn that his biological mother was a stripper. But what if this was a lie? 

What if, Jack's mother was ALSO Shawn's mother. Chet and could've been with Jack's mother, had Jack, then a year later had Shawn. Things were going 'ok' but a few months after Shawn was born things began to unravel and go downhill. Jack's mother ends up leaving Chet and taking take Jack, who had just turned two, with her. She leaves Shawn behind with Chet because in her eyes "Shawn was too hard to deal with." 

Jack and their mother go on to live a happy life in another Philadelphia suburb and marries Jack's stepfather. The three of them go on to live a happy life, which includes having another child - a daughter (who also is Shawn's half-sister). All while Shawn is being cast aside and left behind by Chet back in Philly. 

Virna ultimately raised Shawn when his birth mother (Jack's mother) didn't want to, but it wasn't because she was a stripper. We are going off the words of Chet's ghost and while he was alive Chet wasn't always the most reliable person. Chet might have said she was was a stripper as a cover because he didn't want Shawn believing that his birth mother thought he was "too difficult to raise." 

That would not have been good for a kid like Shawn who lived a tough life and was always dumped off on someone else - whether it was the Matthews', Turner's or the trailer park. 

Even though Shawn mentions in the first episode of season five that Jack was his "half-brother" it was only because that is what Chet told him and wanted him to believe. But Chet didn't tell him the truth in order to spare Shawn more heartbreak. 

BOOK OF THE WEEK: "Hidden Potential" by Adam Grant

Adam Grant has a new book out and it is perfect. 

I'm going to flip all the way to the end and start at the epilogue. Why? I'm built different. But no in all seriousness, this needs to be said first. 

For those that don't know the organizational psychologist, Adam Grant. He's a Harvard alum. But what you also probably don't know is, Grant failed his writing exam. Interesting. A New York Times #1 bestselling author failed his writing exam when he went to Harvard? Yes, it is true he did. But it was what he did afterward that made him into that bestselling author.

Sure it was probably quite humbling and a shot to the ego failing his writing placement exam. It's something that makes one feel as if they are an imposter and they didn't deserve to be at Harvard. But he met with his alumni interviewer again, the interviewer said the thing that he wrote to the admissions committee about Grant was not about being a magician. It was the initiative Grant showed in learning how to do magic and the courage he showed in the interviewer's law office to perform a magic trick. That's what made Grant stand out. 

That was one solid interview by the Harvard alum. But not surprising. It's not uncommon for Harvard alums to act in this way. Harvard alums are not uptight or stodgy as others may think they are. Just the opposite. Most would rather have you tell them a story about how you accomplished something. Grant's situation paralleled to a situation I faced this past summer. 

I had just shot my career low round of a 74, finished with +9 quota points AND recorded my first eagle (2-under par on hole) (outside of my hole-in-one from four years ago) on the Fourth of July. You could say I played well that day. Well the following Tuesday in the Tuesday night golf league, I got paired up with a pair of Harvard alums (Class of 81 and Class of 88). 

Riding around with the member of the Class of 88 for nine holes, it was only natural that the 74 and my first eagle came up (news spreads quickly around the course). But he didn't just ask. The words he used were clear, he said "tell me about the eagle." 

It's an interesting question. To the average person the response is "yeah well I got an eagle." But really the true answer was making it a story. A story that had a climax and some suspense to it. Because it's an eagle - 2-under par on a hole (so a 2 on a par four, 3 on a par five, 1 on a par three) - there has to be some dramatics. And there was some excitement. 

It was the shortest par five. It hit my usual drive - in the fairway. With a solid drive in the middle of the fair I was about 170 out from two cross sand traps so I hit a five-iron inside the 100-yard marker on the right, setting me up for a nice wedge to a front right pin. Anytime I'm within 100 yards or less, I always attack the pin and I did just that, that day. Ball is perfectly in line with the pin, takes one bounce and slight role into the hole.  

But that's it right there. That's what Adam Grant's Harvard alumni interview saw in Grant that day of his interview

BLOG: Be Versatile

Back during his playing days, the Red Sox continuously re-assigned Lou Merloni their Triple A affiliate so frequently that the route between Boston and, then, Pawtucket had been colloquially re-named as the "Merloni Shuttle." Merloni wasn't all to happy about being shuttled back and forth, who would, but the reason was simple: he had options that allowed the team to adjust the roster without fear of losing players to the rest of the baseball market. 

It's not fun to be this person. There so much uncertainty. One never knows how long they will stay in the big leagues before they getting shipped out. It's stressful. 

While there's a name for the the player who is on the cusp of Triple A and the Majors (Merloni Shuttle), what about those pitchers who on edge of being starter and reliever? Those pitchers who are good enough to be starter, but when other starters either return from injury or just better pitchers are acquired, that pitcher gets sent to the bullpen. 

Well that scenario was right there was Tim Wakefield. 

He was a starter, reliever and even a closer. Still pretty mind-boggling that a guy who threw a pitch that no one has any control over was chosen to pitch the last inning of the game, but hey that was Jimy Williams for you. 

It's no surprise since the man was drafted by the Pirates as an infielder. But when it was told to him that he may never make it to the majors as position player, he shifted his eyes towards pitching. Wakefield was an innovator. And it was what kept him in baseball for 19 years. 

Laggers build walls when they feel winds of change. Innovators build windmills.

— Imry Halevi (@imryh) August 26, 2023

Wakefield was always the man on the move. Shuttling back-and-forth between in the rotation and the bullpen, is not ideal. No one dreams of being a relief pitcher. They always dream of being a starter - taking the mound every five days. So when you're in the bullpen you can feel lost.

But just like he did in the minors when told he wasn't going to make it as a position player. He pivoted. Wakefield used his versatility to his advantage. And it is something that needs to be studied by anyone who plays a sport from the youth levels all the way to the professional levels. 

In this day when it is pays to be highly specialized we come to forget that it is the versatility that is the true marker of success. 

Book of the Week: "The Light We Carry" by Michelle Obama

 Former First Lady Michelle Obama has certainly been an icon and an inspiration to many people out there - particularly women. She proved that as a woman you could have it all. You could have a killer career, be a powerful career woman and a mother all at the same time. But it came with a cost and there were many bumps in the road as she described in her first book "Becoming." 

Her second book, penned out of the pandemic, Michelle described life as she attempted to navigate one of the worst international global health crisis in the last 100 years. There was so much uncertainty and with that lack of knowing what the future held for her and rest of the Obamas came a new diagnosis of low-grade depression (along with a new passion for knitting). 

In times of uncertainty and you don't know what is right in front of you, it is paramount to slow things down and take things one step a time. It is not much different than the sport of golf. 

Golf is a counterintuitive sport. If you want to hit the ball in the air, then you have to hit down on the ball. And it goes for all aspects of the game. 

If you find yourself on the golf course and you're hacking away, hitting low rollers and making little progress, the solution to that is slow things down. It's certainly frustrating when you're playing poorly, you want to get to your next shot quickly and hit fast hoping that the next shot will be one that turns everything around. 

Well that's the wrong approach. Increasing your speed is only going to make your game spiral further south. Now it's hard to slow down. You don't want to slow down the pace or hold up the group behind you, but that is precisely what you need to do. And if you do that you will find you will be playing faster (and better). 

"Slow down to move fast."

An that is exactly what one needs to do in times of uncertainty. It's what the Commonwealth of Massachusetts did when re-opening the state. It's what brought athletics back to many colleges that put sports on the back-burner for a year. Slowing yourself down, but not stopping and taking one small step at a time. May I remind you of the phrase "little drops make big drops?" 

BOOK OF THE WEEK: "Full Circle: From Hollywood to Real Life and Back Again" by Andrea Barber

Kimmy Gibbler. 

If you grew up in the 90s you know who Kimmy Gibbler is. She's the wacky, annoying neighbor of the Tanners who always seemed to irk one member of the Tanner family with her antics. But she was also D.J's (the oldest of the Tanner girls) best friend, so it's not like she wasn't welcome in the Tanner household despite Danny Tanner's pleas to D.J. in one episode "make new friends." 

It's unsure on how exactly Kimmy and D.J. became best friends. Their personalities aren't all that much alike. D.J. is the studious, straight A, do-gooder, who always want to please her father; whereas Kimmy was not that academically structured with a vibrant personality and was not afraid to show it. But maybe, just maybe, that is what drew the two together? 

However, this was a TV show and Andrea Barber, the actress who played Kimmy. was nothing like her character at all. Where Kimmy was her extroverted self, Andrea was far more reserved. In fact, Andrea actually auditioned for the role of D.J., but impressed the writers and producers enough that they cast her for the role of Kimmy. 

For those who aren't familiar with Full House or its sequel Fuller House (which I have a hard time believing people aren't familiar with it), you may remember there was love-hate relationship between Kimmy and D.J's next younger sister, Stephanie. Stephanie loved to hate on Kimmy. The quips between the two of the were gold. But the quips, despite being in good fun, could be brutal. 

There was one episode of "Full House" Kimmy was writing the horoscopes section for the school newspaper and Stephanie chimes in and asks "horoscope is that a telescope that can only see your face?" Ouch, that is a pretty tough wise crack for a family show. 

But the one thing everything boils down to is being being strange is a superpower. It's easy to go with the grain and go with the rest of society, but it is very difficult to be the one who stands out. The character of Kimmy Gibbler made it easy for people to be different. 

BOOK OF THE WEEK: "You Can't Be Serious" by Kal Penn

How does an Indian-American actor turn into a community organizer, who gets noticed by the 44th President of the United States and offered a position in the President's administration? If you ever seen the stoner comedy Harold & Kumar or a fan of the T.V. series House, M.D., you'd recognize the name Kal Penn. 

Penn takes us through his life growing up as an Indian/Asian-American and the stigmas he faced while trying to make it in the world of Hollywood with his background. After years of countless rejections, he finally landed the prominent role of Dr. Lawrence Kutner, an Indian-American diagnostic fellow on Dr. House's team on the hit medical drama, House M.D. 

If you're not familiar with the show House, what led to Penn's character Kutner's involvement with the show happened at the start of the season four. The previous season ended with the show's lead, Dr. House, looking (or forced to look) for a new team. The ever misanthropic, curmudgeon of a doctor decides to make it a Survivor-style game, bringing in 100 candidates to compete for the three positions. Originally, Kutner's character was axed, but returned when he flipped his first number six upside down to become nine, which essentially won him a spot on House's team. 

Behind the scenes the crew was actually very close. Coming up and playing mini-games in between shoots while on set. It was Olivia Wilde, who played Thirteen on House, who urged Penn to attend an Obama campaign rally that included many Hollywood celebrities with her, knowing his interest in politics and current affairs. He, reluctantly, attended, but found that he actually enjoyed it and it turned out to be the best of both worlds. 

Penn was able to participate and volunteer to support the Obama Campaign, and continue to fulfill his responsibilities on House because the screen writers were on strike and not writing any new scripts. It was even brought up by President Obama himself during a campaign event in Iowa. Obama inquired that it must be slow with the writers' strike, but Penn added they were still filming episodes before the strike. Soon after, Obama said, if they finish and they are still on strike, he would love to have Penn as an organizer more. 

It was interesting to see how Penn approached the the House executives when he told the producers he was offered the position with the Obama Administration. They had no knowledge of the position. Even though Penn told his agent, who informed him that he would not be able to get out of the contract, it was not because the show executives were blocking his exit so he went straight to the show's creator, David Shore. 

Contrary to what what his agent said, Shore was excited for Penn and thought of ways to write Kutner out of the show. But everything was not in the clear just yet, the waters were about to get muddier. The exact way Kutner's character was to be written off the show was going to be sudden and straight to the point, but with one caveat, Penn could not accept the White House job until the show aired. That was four months away. Would the job still be there? 

It was definitely one of those moments, that we've all had: do you accept the sure-thing (your current role on a hit TV show or whatever it may be) or go all-in for something that you really want? 

BLOG: My Top 10 Books All-Time

I've read a lot of books over the past three years and written about many of them. When I'm reading books, I'm present in the moment, the book sitting in my hands is my all-time favorite, so one can see how my "favorites" can change overtime. But three years later, there are 10 books that are still tops on the list. 

In no particular order, here they are: 

"How To Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie

This book is a forever classic and heard great things from many about it, but I never read it so in summer of 2018 I knew it was important to pick up and read. Although Dale Carnegie published the book 85 years ago, many of the the principles are still applicable today. Of the 10 principles Carnegie mentions, there are two that really stick out and I try to incorporate everyday. 

The first one is "making people feel important and doing it sincerely." Anytime you're talking to someone, it is your job to make that person feel as they are the only person in the world at the time. No checking your phone. No looking at your watch. Your attention should be directed at that person in the moment. We can all think of one person in our lives who exemplified that and we remember how they made us feel when they did that. This principle piggy-backs on another Carnegie principle is remembering people's names. A person's name is a the sweetest thing to them and when you remember their name it shows that person you care. 

And the second principle that sticks out is, about becoming the type of leader who can get people to change their behavior without causing resentment. There comes a time when others will do things that will upset you, but a great leader will be able to express their frustrations in positive way to get the change they want. Similar to when it is a beautiful day for golf and there are many people on the course, which leads to slow play. If you want the group to speed up, approaching them in a hostile way is only going to piss them off and in defiance they will play slower. Engaging in friendly conversation will be much more effective. 

"How Schools Work" by Arne Duncan

In September, 2018, I had the privilege of listening to the form U.S. Secretary of Education, under Barack Obama, Arne Duncan speak at the Harvard University Institute of Politics. Duncan spoke of why he was so passionate about education and bettering the lives of all of our youth - not just the privileged few - growing up as the child of a teacher and spending years working directly with underprivileged youth in his younger years. It is definitely a book, I would encourage others to pick up and read. 

"Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell 

I never did a "book of the week" post on this book, but "Outliers" is the first book that drew me to the mind of  Malcolm Gladwell. Gladwell opened the eyes of many as to how people obtained their success. What separated good Canadian youth hockey players from the elite players who joined the Junior teams to Bill Gates' rise to his success and his path to starting Microsoft. It all came down to the 10,000 hours of practice concept. Those people who were afforded the opportunity to practice their skills over and over again were eventually the ones who received the coaching and ultimately achieved success. 

It's eye opening because pairing it with Duncan's book, we see the importance of investing in those youngsters, who through no fault of their own, may be a step behind their peers, who may be of a higher socioeconomic standing. 

"Becoming" by Michelle Obama

The former U.S. First Lady may be a polarizing figure, but she is far from political unlike her husband, the former President. Michelle's autobiography (which yes I am ranking it higher than her husband's) is so real. She came from very humbling beginnings as a the daughter of father with multiple sclerosis and a young African American woman at an Ivy League institutions. She writes about her constant struggle with "imposter syndrome" as well as being judged by others about how she raised her daughters Malia and Sasha. No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, this is another must read from a pretty successful woman. 

"The Infinite Game" by Simon Sinek | Part II

This book definitely has to be on the list. It was one of the few books that I wrote back-to-back posts on - mainly because I wanted to cover two different topics and one post would be too wordy. Much like Malcolm Gladwell, Simon Sinek is an excellent mind and makes people think about things they never would have dreamed of thinking about and is not different with his book "The Infinite Game." 

There are two types of games - a finite game or an infinite game. Players in a finite game are playing with a fixed outcome. In the sporting world, basketball is a finite game there is a clear objective, set duration and a clear winner and loser at the end. Finite games work well for sports, but not so much in the world of business. 

Businesses who try to play a finite game and want to be the best by beating out their competition are going going to lose in the end. But those companies, like Apple, don't believe they are playing to be number one, they play to keep the game going. They don't focus on being the best, but trying to keep the game moving. 

"Talking To Strangers" by Malcolm Gladwell

What can I say I really enjoy Malcolm Gladwell's work. Similar to "Outliers," Gladwell's 2019 book "Talking to Strangers" takes readers through many different historical scenarios as he attempts to show us that people are not as transparent as we may think. Gladwell opens and closes the book with the Sandra Bland case and how she tragically took her own life after a police officer arrested her in what should've been a routine traffic stop. He mentions Bernie Madoff and how Madoff was able to swindle so much cash from hardworking people because of his charm or how Joe Paterno and Graham Spanier were able to cover up for Jerry Sandusky all those years. 

"Surrounded By Idiots" by Thomas Erikson

It's not a coincidence that "Surrounded By Idiots" is directly following "Talking To Strangers" amongst my all-time top 10 list. The two books have a lot in common. Erikson explains to his audience in "Surrounded By Idiots" there are four distinct types of human behavior and figuring out how to communicate effectively with each one leads to success of the business. Not everyone is the same and just as Malcolm Gladwell taught us in "Talking to Strangers," people aren't as transparent as others may believe. (Also if you didn't read my blog post on this book the first time around, I suggest you do so now because each of the DudePerfect team members fit into one of the four categories perfectly. Link is in the title. 

"Kindness and Wonder" by Gavin Edwards

Anyone who grew up in the 80s or 90s definitely remembers watching Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. Those carefree days as a young toddler, before you were even enrolled in school, well this book takes you back to those days and let's you re-live a time where you legit did not have a care in the world. Sometimes it's a good thing to re-visit those days and you can with this book. 

"Think Again" by Adam Grant

Adam Grant's latest book teaches us how if we constantly want to be learning and be life-long learners, we have to be open to re-thinking our thinking. That some of the things we once believed in may not very well be the case at all. Using Red Sox and Yankee fans as an example, he attempts to make a Sox fan like the Yankees and vice versa getting them to realize that they have more in common than they really think. We have to admit when we are wrong, or don't know as much as we perceive. That's when we know we are truly learning. 

"The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch 

Seriously, how can I have an all-time top 10 book list and not include the man who inspired the name of this blog? It's inconceivable! I never did a post on the late Carnegie Mellon professor's book, but the fact his brick wall concept was the inspiration for the blog name automatically makes it an all-time top 10 and probably will not be leaving the category any time soon (or maybe at all). While many of these other nine books may change over time, not sure "The Last Lecture" is going anywhere. With "The Last Lecture" Professor Pausch really teaches us how to live our lives so all of our dreams can come true. 

Honorable Mentions: 

"13 Reasons Why" by Jay Asher

"Zilosophy on Golf" by Michael Zildjian

"The Ideal Team Player" by Patrick Lencioni

"Help Them Up" by Dan Horwitz

"Hitting Made Simple" by Kraig Kupiec

"American Crisis" by Andrew Cuomo

Book the Week: "The Ideal Team Player" by Patrick Lencioni

All businesses out there want team players, but what exactly is the ideal team player and how does a company go about finding the right person? 

The book begins with a story of Jeff, who has been picked by his uncle, Bob, to take over his construction business when Bob was forced to retire due to health issues and upcoming surgery. However, Bob had left Jeff in somewhat of a predicament. The business was doing extremely well, so well that it had two MAJOR projects lined up. Jeff, alongside with his two other upper level administrators (Bobby and Clare), knew they had to hire a lot of people, including another senior management position. 

One of the top priorities of the company (VB) under Bob's leadership was teamwork and stressing the importance of being a team player. It was something that Jeff wanted to continue to push at VB. But first he, Bobby and Clare had define a team-player. 

Coming up with their model of the ideal team-player and the type of person they wanted at VB, they put it to use to find their new senior manager. They quickly were drawn to a fellow who had loads of experience in the industry, Ted Marchbanks, a man who had recently retired from a bigger firm. Ted checked off all the boxes, but to Jeff there was something missing that kept him from pulling the trigger and hiring Ted. 

One of the biggest conversations that he had was with Clare's assistant, Kim. When asked what she thought of Ted, Kim mentioned that she thought there was something off about him. On the day of Ted's interview, the two of them were in the lobby for 15 minutes and he came across as less than sociable. Kim's interaction with Ted confirmed Clare's earlier suspicion when he had no idea who Kim was after Clare dropped Ted off, following their interview, for his next one. 

There are three things current manager can from this one piece of information from Kim. First off, why was there no small-talk between Kim and Ted in the lobby? Did Ted think it was beneath him to chat with with receptionist? There's a red-flag right there. Why would you want someone on your team who belittles a fellow colleague just because he holds a higher title? Probably not. 

One could also make an argument that it's not in Ted's personality to engage in conversations as such, but this throws up a red-flag again. If Ted's being looked at for an upper management position, then it is paramount that he have some interpersonal skills, be friendly and engage in some small-talk while he's waiting. 

Second clue that comes out of Kim's piece of information is, Jeff valued input from EVERYONE on his staff not only his senior managers. Those front line workers (i.e. receptionists, custodians) are the face of the business. They are the people that everyone sees and they see everyone. They know exactly what's going on at any given time during the day and their opinions need to be valued. 

And third, Kim's involvement was huge. She actually, personally, knew people who worked at the firm Ted was previously at, who she could ask for information about Ted's character and personality. This is important for all hiring managers to take into account. When it comes to references, job candidates will only list people who will give them a favorable recommendation. If you want to truly know what a person is like, instead call the mutual acquaintances - people who you know work in the same company, but the candidate does not know you know them. You'll get real feedback and information this way. (Learned this last point from a former athletic director.) 

It's a must read book for any manager, coach, or someone who wants to be an elite manager or championship coach. 

Book of the Week: "Row The Boat" by Jon Gordon and P.J. Fleck

As a history buff as well as political science major I took my fair share of history classes. During my junior year at McDaniel I took a post-World War II U.S. History course. In the class we examined the events after the second world war. Midway through the semester our professor gave us the prompt for a short essay about whether former President Richard Nixon's presidency was a success or a failure. 

Many in the class, myself included, believed this was going to easy question to respond to upon first glance. Nixon was a polarizing figure, responsible for the Watergate break in, but re-thinking the question it dawned on me and took a different approach to the paper. Nixon's legacy was tarnished, but his overall presidency was far from a failure. I forced myself to separate HOW Nixon was going to be remembered (his legacy) and what he actually accomplished in his five years in the White House. 

What does this have to do with Jon Gordon's latest book, which he co-wrote with current Minnesota Golden Gopher Head Football Coach, P.J. Fleck? Everything. For Coach Fleck and his rowing the boat culture, it's about making a difference in people's lives and being the reason others experience success. "Rowing the boat' is continuing to plough through the difficult times and keep going. That should be your legacy. 

It mirrors a new Disney series that originated on Disney-plus and starred America's favorite uncle, Uncle Jesse, or as he's known in the real world, John Stamos. 

In the new Disney-plus original, "Big Shot," Stamos plays plays a former college basketball coach with multiple championships who gets barred from the NCAA after going all Bobby Knight and throwing a chair at a ref. In trying to re-claim his reputation, he begins coaching a private, elite, GIRLS high school basketball team, who care more about how being a member of a sports team looks on their college applications than they do about winning. 

While Stamos' character, Marvyn Korn, was attempting to rehabilitate his image for a return to college basketball, the girls on the team as well as colleagues and his daughter was teaching him other crucial lessons. 

As a college coach with multiple national titles, Coach Korn was riding high at Wisconsin where they constructed a statue of him in front of the arena, but after the chair-throwing incident people were calling for that same statue to be taken down, in Joe Paterno statue fashion, and melted so Korn took it back himself. Mirror that to the present when Korn's star female player's father had just been arrested on embezzlement charges and the student body was calling for his name to be removed from the school gym. 

Lesson learned is quite simple. The statue represented the the past successes Korn had achieved and was not something that could be stripped away from him. He earned those wins and championships,  but those wins and titles also turned changed him into a volatile, unstable person. At Westbrook, Coach Korn was changing his persona into a kinder and gentler coach, father and most importantly human. So when he had the opportunity to return to the college ranks at UC Santa Barbara, it was incredibly difficult decision. 

Seeing how he had the ability to change and shape people's lives - including being more of a presence in his own daughter's - he knew that was something he desperate did not want to give up. And that is important when it comes to coaching and building a championship culture, it's about helping others improve and change their lives, not your own glory. 

The statues, accolades, awards, and privileges are all great, but we all have an expiration date. When that day is reached we learn that all those privileges and accolades we once had, we no longer have because they were for the title and position we were in. What we are left with is is our legacy and what we want to be remembered for. 

BOOK OF THE WEEK: "Nineteen Minutes" by Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult is an amazingly talented author who writes about tough topics that need to be discussed - one of her more known piece of works is My Sister's Keeper, which was made into an award-winning movie starring Cameron Diaz and Abigail Breslin. Nineteen Minutes takes us through the aftermath of a school shooting that devastated a fictional, small New Hampshire town and the events that ultimately led the protagonist, Peter Houghton's, decision. 

The character of Peter Houghton can be found in many high schools - an outcast and a kid who just didn't fit in. He wasn't an athlete, nor was he part of the popular group. Very similar to the character Tyler Down from 13 Reasons Why. 

Tyler was slightly different because he had an interest in photography and was the school's photographer that he could bury himself in, but both characters were kids who found it difficult to fit in. They were, both, relentlessly bullied by the more popular students and each had one particular moment that triggered their decisions - although Tyler's efforts where thwarted by a martyr-like character in Clay Jensen. 

Since Columbine we've seen more and more school shootings and mass shootings. As much as we want to grieve for the victims of what we deem a senseless act, we do owe it to society to have a a little bit of sympathy for the perpetrators. The likes of Peter Houghton's character are out there - Sandy Hook, Marjory Stoneman Douglas - and they too deserve empathy. 

Something happened to them in their past that led them to the actions they took. On the surface it may be small potatoes to you or I, but to them it was as if the world was crashing down. In Peter Houghton's case, it was the single event of being publicly embarrassed in the cafeteria by the popular athlete, Matt Royston. With Tyler Down, it was being violently beaten and violated by the school's bully that he thought there was no way out and things were never going to get any better. 

Not only are these kids teenagers, who haven't yet developed the full capacity to think through all scenarios and realize that this is not the end of the world, but the constant pressure of fitting in does not help the case. 

High school is hard. (Well from what I hear it's hard, my own experience I was so in my own little bubble that I really didn't care what the others were up to or what they thought.) It's easy to say everyone should think like this and not listen to others, but what we forget is that high school peers can have a huge influence on decisions. If they are going to play a big role in decisions, might as well make all those influences positive ones. 

BOOK OF THE WEEK: "Think Again" by Adam Grant

If we want to to be an effective society, we have to be constantly re-thinking. Re-thinking everything we do. Everything we say and everything we think. We may come to find out that those things we once believed and held on as truths for the longest are no longer valid. 

There was once a belief that the world was flat, but that theory was debunked over time - although if you hang out with Kyrie Irving he may lead you believe differently. Even in recent times, we've seen constant re-thinking that has lead to drastic discoveries. Early during the pandemic it was believed that COVID-19 could be transmitted via surfaces leading many to disinfect their groceries or wait three days before consuming. But over time that has been proven to be untrue. 

Constant re-thinking about how we see things, the world or even people can lead us to success. There's nothing wrong with changing your mind. If there was one thing that the COVID pandemic taught us was ways of re-thinking.

Nearly every business had to change and adapt due to the pandemic. Restaurants were forced to get creative with outdoor dining when restrictions threatened occupancy. With no fans in the stands, the sporting world had to figure out a way increase revenue stream (i.e. cardboard cutouts replacing fans). Education had to pivot into the online virtual world and figure out how to reach the underprivileged. Things were changing and had to be re-evaluated. Doing the things the way they were done before was no longer an option. 

Everything in 2020 was turn on its head. Questions are good and asking why something is being done is perfectly acceptable. Notice how in history class you probably never learned about Emmett Till or June 19th - unless you had a history class with Dr. Upton. When you think back the history books were written by white, anglo saxon men. You would be hard-pressed to find much about black history or women's history and if you did you would be from the white male perspective. We alway believed what we read in the history books to be the truths, but we never really thought if it was correct. Or who was writing that history. Re-thinking is paramount when it comes to looking at our history. 

Now, knowing what you know about re-thinking and the importance of questions, here's a question. If you're a die-hard Red Sox fan, could you root for the Yankees? And vice-versa, could a die-hard Yankee fan, flip and root for the Red Sox? 

Adam Grant comes to find that the two sides are not that far apart. What Red Sox fans dislike about Yankee fans is the same as what Yankee fans dislike about Red Sox fans.  We really do, as Jerry Seinfeld said, cheer for the laundry.