Playbook for Success

There are basics that every woman must have if she is to succeed in the corporate world, start and run her own business, or coach her own winning team. In Playbook for Success, Hall of Fame Business Entrepreneur Nancy Lieberman brings her leadership and coaching ability to the boardroom to teach professional women the same rules of success she teaches her players.

Playbook for Success is a plan to help make success a part of one's daily routine and teach women that success is not just a title or corner office, but an attitude, belief, and way of life.

• Teaches the top sports-related skills women need to thrive in the corporate world, featuring a provocative examination of women and teamwork
• Includes profiles of women succeeding in business, ways to recognize your own strengths and weaknesses, and exercises that can be used in the business world
• Foreword by Basketball Hall of Famer and business legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson

Playbook for Success gives you a unique and inspirational road map to compete and win in your life and career.

Foreword Earvin "magic'' Johnson xiii

Acknowledgments xv

Chapter 1 Why Sports and Business for Women? 1

Be Flexible: Don’t Play the Play, Play the Game 12

Succeed Together! 16

Accept All Challenges 17

Title IX Creates Equality 18

Chapter 2 The Playbook 23

Successful Strategies for Your Team 27

The Learning Plan 30

Establish Your Leadership Style 32

Don’t Be Late. Really. 35

Loyalty Matters 37

Chapter 3 Find Your Love and Passion 43

Toughen Up—Mentally 46

Michael Jackson’s Message: Man in the Mirror 48

Rucker Park: The Little White Girl Plays with the Best 50

Muhammad Ali’s Gift of Hope 51

The Power of a Woman’s Natural Traits: Empathy and Intuition 54

Mentoring and Creating Opportunities for Others 55

Negotiating 101: Why Should I Have You on My Team? 56

Ladies, Dry Your Tears! 60

Chapter 4 Never Fear Success 63

Talk to Me 66

Utilize Criticism to Get Tougher and Better 68

Learn about Overcoming Fear from the Great Lou Holtz 71

Chapter 5 Think Like a Champion 75

Be Determined 79

You Are Who You Think You Are 84

My First Meeting with the Champ 87

Selective Hearing Not Allowed 90

Be Someone’s Hero 91

Chapter 6 It's All about Teamwork 95

A Promise to the Team 102

Teamwork Defined 103

Building a Team 104

Chapter 7 Do Your Homework 111

Google It! 119

Scouting Report 121

See the Future 122

Larry Fitzgerald Provides a Lesson on Observing 123

Chapter 8 Stay in Shape 127

Make a Commitment and Get Started 131

Minimize Stress 133

A Few Words for Women Only 134

Chapter 9 Sports Talk 139

Use the Morning Headlines 141

Use Tickets as a Tool 142

Strike Up the Conversation 143

Learn to Tell a Story 146

Chapter 10 Game Time! 151

Are You Prepared? 156

Do What It Takes 157

Believe in Yourself 159

Set Minigoals 161

‘‘B’’ Nice 163

Take a Sound Bite Lesson 164

Observe People 165

Game Time Rituals 166

Risk/Reward 167

It’s Okay to Be Great 168

Decision Makers 169

Is It in You? 171

Sports Talk—glossary 173

Index 177

NANCY LIEBERMAN is a basketball hall of famer, two-time Olympian, Head Coach of the Dallas Mavericks NBA Development team the Texas Legends, former WNBA player, head coach, and general manager, broadcaster, analyst, writer, and motivational speaker. Nancy provides commentary for ABC, ESPN, and NBA-TV and has been a contributing writer for the New York Times and USA Today. She is also a motivational speaker, appearing before Fortune 500 companies such as Merrill Lynch, JPMorgan, MetLife, Home Depot, The Hartford, FedEx, Amway, AT&T, Bank of America, Prudential, Express, Nike, and many more.

Nancy “Lady Magic” Lieberman has a passion for winning. One of basketball’s all-time greats, she took home Olympic silver at age eighteen, was a two-time national champion in college, led victorious teams in the WBL and WNBA, and was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. After retiring from the court, she became a winning coach in the WNBA, an ESPN analyst, a sought-after public speaker and consultant, a philanthropist, and, most recently, the first female head coach in the NBA’s Development League for the Dallas Mavericks affiliate the Texas Legends.

How did Lieberman blaze such a trail and break so many barriers, both in sports and business? By developing and sticking to her own playbook for success. Now, in Playbook for Success, she gives you the tools to create a champion’s mind-set, achieve peak performance, and win in the game of business.

Your own personal coaching session with this legendary competitor, Playbook for Success speaks in particular to women who are ready to play in any business arena they choose and push themselves to exceed any limit before them. With this practical guide, you’ll get a tough-minded mix of no-nonsense inspiration, real-life examples, and hard-and-fast sports principles you can use to hone your winner’s edge each day.

Start your training today with Playbook for Success and discover tested exercises and approaches to:

• Get over your fear of success
• Assert your right to compete and lead
• Move comfortably in formerly all-male business domains
• Discover, use, and improve on your own strengths and weaknesses
• Build and lead teams to achieve goals and not give up
• Help others achieve more than they think possible

Nancy Lieberman understands the natural connection between excelling in both sports and business. Find the proven sports skills to bring your professional A-game to your business, compete, and win with Playbook for Success.