Audible Review: You Win in the Locker Room First by Jon Gordon and Mike Smith

You Win in the Locker Room First: The 7 C's to Build a Winning Team in Business, Sports, and Life

Jon Gordon, Mike Smith

Rating: * * *

My first read of 2024 was You Win in the Locker Room First. Normally, I don't read a lot of these types of motivational books, but I thought it would be fun to look at lessons from the world of sports as we near the end of the NFL football season.

Of the seven C's, the most memorable was Smith's discussion of culture and how he involved everyone on the team including not only the athletes, but also other coaches, trainers, and front office staff. Changing culture they argue, changes everything else. Some of the other sections were a bit less memorable, though there were some actionable insights.

One area that I appreciated was Smith's discussion of his failures. I actually wish he had spent a bit more time on this. I know no one wants to dwell on the negative, but beyond using his failures as a counterpoint to his successes, a more detailed discussion of these points would have been beneficial. Still, he was honest and forthright in his assessment of his failure to notice and respond to organizational changes in a manner that he realizes in retrospect would have benefited his team.

Overall, I thought Smith's approach and his advice were sound and applicable to multiple environments. The advice was not platitudinous, at least, for the most part.

Three out of five stars.

Cheers to 2024!