The Winner Within

“The Winner Within” is about a life plan for team players and what it takes to be a successful team. Each chapter is based on one subject, and that subject is one of the many things that a team needs to be successful. Pat Riley shares his game plan for team players in all of life, not just on the court. All of the strategies in this book are very inspiring and motivate teamwork. I think that the first chapter in the book, ‘The Innocent Climb’, is one of the most important concepts you have to have on a team. The innocent climb is the surge that occurs within a team as they are accomplishing more because of the synergy that occurs within a team. Innocence means understanding that the team comes first and being carried along by that. Teamwork and all of its benefits happen when everyone puts the team first. Innocence comes when the leader believes in something and puts him or herself out to accomplish that. A team in an Innocent Climb can feel the power surging, so internal rivalries, turf wars, and selfish behavior is all set aside. I learned from this chapter that it is very important to be more worried about the team success rather than my personal success.
“Ask not what your teammates can do for you. Ask what you can do for your teammates.”
-Magic Johnson The second chapter I feel is also very important. Chapter two is called ‘The Disease of Me’. The disease of me starts when people start behaving selfishly, believing that they are more important than the team. I learned from this chapter that greed and resentment eat away at a team’s togetherness and undermine its ability to collaborate and win.
“Self-interest is the enemy of all true affection” -Tacitus Chapter seven is another one of my favorite chapters, ‘Complacency’. Complacency comes when you feel good about who you are and what you have achieved. It is subtle erosion and it makes people start feeling entitled to things that they really have earned and have no special