The Gold Standard: Building a World-Class Team »

Mike Krzyzewski Coaching Phenom: Back-to-back NCAA national championships, seven Final Fours, and one of the most successful basketball programs in the nation are all accomplishments of Duke's head basketball coach.

Donald T. Phillips is the author of six books, including Lincoln on Leadership, The Founding Fathers on Leadership, and Martin Luther King, Jr., on Leadership. He lives in Fairview, Texas, where he currently serves as mayor.

On Leadership™is a trademark of Donald T. Phillips

In this invaluable book, Mike Krzyzewski, "Coach K," succinctly reveals his leadership secrets—insights that can (and should!) be applied to any organization. On the way, he tells you how he and LeBron, Kobe, Carmelo, Jason, Dwyane, and the rest of the NBA stars of Team USA established a set of standards to become something larger than themselves and bring home Olympic gold. But Coach K doesn't give you a recipe or formula. His approach—proven to be successful on and off the court–is deeper than that. In The Gold Standard, he urges all leaders to take the time to embrace these and her ideas:

Establish standards: "Rules don't promote teamwork, standards do."

Cultivate leadership: "Great teams have multiple leaders."

Adapt internally: "Every single person on the team must adapt."

Self-assess: "You should always want to find ways to get better."

Stay motivated: "Bringing about positive emotions and harnessing the energy they create is the essence of motivation."

Preface ix

The Gold Standard Chronology xi

Introduction: Team Building in Time and Moments xvii

Time to Choose Your People 1

Time to Understand Context 15

Time to Gain Perspective 30

Time to Form Relationships 42

Time to Develop a Support System 57

Time to Establish Standards 67

Time to Cultivate Leadership 85

Time to Learn the Language 105

Time to Adapt Internally 116

Time to Practice 127

Time for Self-Assessment 146

Time to Get Motivated 162

Game Time 180

Conclusion: Our Golden Moment 209

USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team 2006-2008 Roster 220

Acknowledgments 225

Index 227