Winning Every Day: The Game Plan for Success

I happened to notice this book one day when I took my daughter to the library. A friend of mine is a personal acquaintance of Lou's so I decided to see what 'Ol Lou is all about for myself. This is a book of (mostly humorous) stories that makes it a fun, easy read. At the same time, each story has powerful success principles and truths embedded within. If you want to see powerful leadership in action, this is a great book. If you want to get more from your interactions and relationships with people in every area of your life, this is a great book. If you find yourself doubting your abilities and potential, this is a great book. If you want to be able to learn from someone who started out as a nobody with nothing and ended up as somebody who had something, this is a great book. If you weren't fortunate enough to have a parent or adult-figure who taught you how to win at the game of life, then I heartily recommend this book to help fill in that void. If you don't see yourself in the preceding statements, or, if you have read all the success books and you are looking for something brand-new that you have never heard of before, then this probably isn't the book for you.

Lou Holtz, currently the head football coach at the University of South Carolina, has written one of the best, and most enjoyable leadership books I have ever read. His game plan for success was largely told through his gridiron experiences, but this plan is about much more than just football-it is a proven, common-sense guide for succeeding in the game of life.What makes Holtz's life and leadership insights so compelling and believable are his dynamic life experiences and his incredible list of accomplishments: parents were divorced; fiance' broke off their engagement, but they later married and remain so after 40 years; only coach to lead 4 different programs to top-20 finishes and 6 different programs to bowl games (William and Mary, N.C. State, Arkansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame, South Carolina); 23 of 32 college teams he coached have received bowl bids, with 18 top-25 finishes, 8 top-10 finishes, and one undefeated national championship; 3rd winningest active coach and 7th place all-time with 243 victories; wife's heroic battle with throat cancer; fired or let go as assistant coach more than once; polled as the best motivational speaker in the country two years in a row, and his motivational video "Do Right!" is the all-time best-seller; guest speaker at most Fortune 500 companies; and was invited to the Oval Office by four different presidents. Holtz's game plan consists of ten steps. Each step is explored in detail in its own chapter. The colorful, real-world stories and humorous anecdotes Holtz used to present the steps' lessons perfectly complemented his conversational writing style. The final chapter is considered the "end-zone" of success-where you can be if you have the courage, desire, and character to apply the lessons described within the plan's steps.The book is jammed full of common-sense, spiritual, philosophical, and motivational life and leadership perspectives. The most memorable passages for me as a father, leader, and follower were Holtz's thoughts about discipline: "For me, a disciplinarian is someone who requires that people understand the consequences of their decisions. You use discipline to reinforce choices. Our athletes and my children knew that if they chose to misbehave, they were also choosing to pay the consequences...In each case, I never punished anyone; the offenders chose the punishment themselves by their actions."He illustrated his commitment to being a disciplinarian by describing the circumstances that led to him suspending his top three Arkansas players before the 1977 Orange Bowl (against Oklahoma), and to suspending two of his best players before his top-ranked Notre Dame team played the second-ranked University of Southern California in 1988:"[They] recklessly violated our Do Right rule, which governs personal conduct...These were not bad guys; they simply made a bad decision...I didn't want the keys to our offense to miss our biggest game of the year, but when they decided to break our rules, they also

We have used Coach Holtz's videos in our corporate training programs for years, and we have found his book to be equally inspiring. Values-based management is a key to Coach Holz's success, and it should be a part of everyone's training program and personal motivational library.

This is a great book. I wish I could have read it without ever having had to put it down; it is captivating. This man is much deeper and introspective than I thought when I saw his grim face on the sidelines. He is actually quite a comedian too! As a Michigan alum, he was a tremendous adversary. Nevertheless, who couldn't have respect for what he has accomplished? After reading his book, I now have even greater respect for Lou Holtz. The book has 11 chapters. I have little doubt that Chapter 12 will be represented by an SEC and a National Championship by the University of South Carolina Gamecocks!!!! Go Lou!

In an entertaining, readable, yet challenging style, the ex-Notre Dame football head coach teaches, cajoles, and persuades you into leading a better life.Notre Dame fans will especially appreciate his consistent use of examples from players and coaches throughout his 1986-1997 tenure at the school. He also sprinkles examples not from his life, as well as from earlier coaching stints. His treatment of Woody Hayes is especially interesting, and endearing.And in typical Lou fashion, he mangles a few names, and misspells others! Craig Hentrich becomes Hendricks; Charles Woodson's first name is wrong. These few mistakes make the book endearing, and prove it authentic!If you undertake a cost-benefit analysis on time spent vs. reward returned, your time spent with this book is well worth it. The few hours spent absorbing Lou's stories and wisdom will bear fruit manyfold over a lifetime. Motivating, yes. But more importantly, Lou gives normative advice on how to become a better person. His honesty as to his own failings gives his advice even more credibility.