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Joe Torre's Ground Rules for Winners
Book

Joe Torre's Ground Rules for Winners

Twelve Keys to Managing Team Players, Tough Bosses, Setbacks, and Success

Joe Torre and Henry Dreher
Hyperion, 1999
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Editorial Rating

6

Qualities

  • Eloquent
  • Engaging

Recommendation

Joe Torre distills his management and “team player” philosophy into twelve keys. These insights elegantly deal with ways to inspire critical qualities, including trust, commitment, optimism, resilience, excellence, patience, integrity, respect, leadership, teamwork and camaraderie. Torre illustrates his beliefs and advice with pertinent anecdotes told in a detailed, witty, heartfelt style. Torre, who has won four world series titles as manager of the New York Yankees, draws on his experiences as a player, manager, and leader. He includes the lessons he learned when he reported to a demanding team owner. The book delivers what it promises and offers an engaging behind-the-scenes look at professional baseball. getAbstract recommends this book to executives, managers and employees at all levels in any kind of business. Since it never relies on macho clichés, both men and women will find it satisfying and worthwhile.

Summary

Success and Winning Are Not Always Synonymous

How do you define success? Is it just winning? No, success and winning are not always one and the same. You can be successful without winning, because success is playing or working to the very best of your own particular abilities. Winning, on the other hand, is the by-product of living up to your best standards, and making the most out of your talents, drive, courage, and commitment. You can’t win every day, but you can focus daily on success, and on fulfilling your individual and team potential. That strategy is basic to baseball, which makes the sport an ideal metaphor for business and life.

Key #1: Know Your Team Players

Your ability to work effectively with your team depends on knowing your players. To make the right decisions, you should know their key traits, and your own. These include their strengths, limitations, drive and optimism level, talents, character, convictions, needs, temperament, vulnerabilities, personality and behavior under pressure. With this knowledge, you can rely on your instincts. Your group can get down to business, with respectful, professional cohesion.

Two other rules matter...

About the Authors

Joe Torre won the baseball World Series as the manager of the New York Yankees in 1996 and 1998-2000. He has also managed and played for the Atlanta Braves, the New York Mets, and the St. Louis Cardinals. He appeared in the All-Star Game nine times. He won Manager of the Year awards in both 1996 and 1998. Henry Dreher is a New York-based writer who specializes in health, psychology and self-help. He is the author of many books, magazine articles and corporate speeches.

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