Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success

Phil Jackson · Hugh Delehanty

May 2013 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

"Through candor and comprehensiveness, Jackson writes a convincing revisionist take, in which he emerges as an excellent coach . . . highly readable . . . reflects Jackson’s polymathy." —The New York Times Book Review

"Part sports memoir, part New Age spirit quest, part pseudo-management tract . . . But the primary thing with Jackson—as with all the old bards, who were also known for repeating themselves—is the voice." —Sam Anderson, The New York Times Magazine

A New York Times Bestseller

The inside story of one of basketball's most legendary and game-changing figures 

During his storied career as head coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson won more championships than any coach in the history of professional sports. Even more important, he succeeded in never wavering from coaching his way, from a place of deep values. Jackson was tagged as the “Zen master” half in jest by sportswriters, but the nickname speaks to an important truth: this is a coach who inspired, not goaded; who led by awakening and challenging the better angels of his players’ nature, not their egos, fear, or greed.

This is the story of a preacher’s kid from North Dakota who grew up to be one of the most innovative leaders of our time. In his quest to reinvent himself, Jackson explored everything from humanistic psychology and Native American philosophy to Zen meditation. In the process, he developed a new approach to leadership based on freedom, authenticity, and selfless teamwork that turned the hypercompetitive world of professional sports on its head.

In Eleven Rings, Jackson candidly describes how he:

   •  Learned the secrets of mindfulness and team chemistry while playing for the champion New York Knicks in the 1970s
   •  Managed Michael Jordan, the greatest player in the world, and got him to embrace selflessness, even if it meant losing a scoring title
   •  Forged successful teams out of players of varying abilities by getting them to trust one another and perform in sync
   •  Inspired Dennis Rodman and other “uncoachable” personalities to devote themselves to something larger than themselves
   •  Transformed Kobe Bryant from a rebellious teenager into a mature leader of a championship team.

Eleven times, Jackson led his teams to the ultimate goal: the NBA championship—six times with the Chicago Bulls and five times with the Los Angeles Lakers. We all know the legendary stars on those teams, or think we do. What Eleven Rings shows us, however, is that when it comes to the most important lessons, we don’t know very much at all. This book is full of revelations: about fascinating personalities and their drive to win; about the wellsprings of motivation and competition at the highest levels; and about what it takes to bring out the best in ourselves and others.

Ratings and reviews

A fun read that inspires flashbacks to watching all the NBA playoff games in the 90's and later during the Lakers era, Jackson shares his leadership philosophy while weaving us through his unique experience with such great talent. I highly recommend this book to any basketball fan or individual looking for a fresh perspective on leadership, eleven rings straddles the line perfectly.

I absolutely loved reading this book! I would highly recommend it to anyone who is a basketball fan (specifically Bulls & Lakers), a Phil Jackson fan, and anyone who is looking to build on their leadership skills. Not only does this book teach you how to become successful on the basketball court, it teaches you how to become successful in life. This book dives deep into Jackson's championship teams and their Zen meditative way of winning.

This book has spoken to me in so many amazing ways. I'm intrigued with books on leadership, and although I wasn't into sports growing up, I wanted to see what it was that made an individual such as Phil Jackson lead so well. This book explains exactly why he's the best in his field. I will be reading this book again and again!

About the author

PHIL JACKSON is arguably the greatest coach in the history of the NBA. His reputation was established as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989-1998; during his tenure, Chicago won six NBA titles. His next team, the Los Angeles Lakers, won five NBA titles, from 2000 to 2010. He holds the record for the most championships in NBA history as a player and a head coach. He also has the highest winning percentage of any NBA coach (.704). Jackson was a player on the 1970 and 1973 NBA champion New York Knicks. In 2007 Jackson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

A former editor for Sports Illustrated and People, HUGH DELEHANTY is the co-author with Phil Jackson of the bestselling memoir, Sacred Hoops.