What It Takes to Be Number #1: Vince Lombardi on Leadership

I am 16 years old and I play on my high schools varsity baseball team. I feel this book has helped my outlook on my sports career, because some of his quotes are so true. Everytime I wake up at 5:30 to weightlift before school I remind myself "The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender." Just reading this book made me realize what it really takes to be #1. You can't be a sissy, you have to work for what you want. Any athlete who needs something to motivate them should read this book.

Above the portals of Apollo's temple at Delphi one could find the words "Know Thyself". This injunction, as old as civilization, is the departure point for this thoughtful volume. Vince Lombardi Jr. has penned a gem of a book, a labor of love based upon the philosophies and actions of his famous father. It's about winning - through knowing yourself, building excellent character, and living with integrity. Vincent T. Lombardi is an icon. Living in Green Bay, I am reminded daily of his legacy. But this isn't just another rehashing of the Packer "glory days". Vince Jr. has applied his father's winning strategies to life, to leadership, to motivation, to building teamwork and developing winning organizations. On a personal level, the reader can apply the principles laid out in this book to developing a winning attitude, to asking the right questions to making better life decisions, to developing better focus and discipline, and to discovering your life's passion and jumping into it with enthusiasm. This is a fantastic book for students, for those trying to earn leadership positions, for successful business people looking to enhance the performance of their company, or for any intelligent person trying to improve their life and find their true way. My favorite thought from this book is "Chase perfection and settle for excellence along the way." Vince Lombardi's book will definitely get you chasing perfection, and make you want to RUN TO WIN!

I was really inspired by the leadership style of Vince Lombardi. I had heard a lot about him over the years. In this society that we live in where everything has to be done now with little or no effort, I found this book to be refreshing. I enjoyed reading about a man of standards and discipline and a man that was able to take a loosing team to the top.

As Vince Jr. states in his book "How many diets does it take till you lose weight? Just one... the one that works for you." This could be the one book on leadership that works for you. Vince Jr. writes with the passion and authority of his father and manages to teach new lessons without rehashing the same old quotes. You find yourself embracing change, tension and stress as key elements to winning rather than losing. "What It Takes To Be Number #1" is Number #1.

Once in a while a book comes along that you know when you read it will stand the test of time. "What It Takes to Be # One" is one of those books. Whether you are a parent, a teacher, a business leader, a student, or a coach this book will put you on the right course in making a difference in the lives of the people you touch. You have an opportunity to examine your vision, your values, and your habits. Vince, Jr. has done an excellent job in mixing his father's thoughts about life in with his own. I highly recommend this book to those in leadership positions or those who wish to be in leadership positions.