Leadership Influences

One of the main aspects that Jackson tries to convey in this book is the variety of influences from which he developed his own leadership style. These influences include both good and bad habits of coaches for who Jackson had played and others he just observed. He also takes leadership lessons from the Native Americans and psychology greats like Abraham Maslow. Jackson assembles the aspects of each of his favorite influences into a style of leadership that works best for him and his players.

The man whom Jackson calls his mentor is Red Holzman, the former coach of the New York Knicks. From Holzman, Jackson learned how to be a selfless leader and how to dial back his ego. Another of Jackson’s former coaches who influenced his leadership style was Kevin Loughery. Jackon learns from Loughery's methods of pushing the envelope and getting away with it...