The listing, SHIPS FREE: The 12 Leadership Principals of Dean Smith has ended.
Dean Smith was the coach of the University of North Carolina/ Chapel Hill Basketball team for 36 years. This book was written by David Chadwick, one of his former players who is currently the Pastor of a large Church. He reflects upon his university experience with Coach Smith as well as the lifelong impact that experience has brought him. He adds the reflections and residual affection of many other UNC basketball alumni, some now quite famous like Michael Jordan, to emphasis how these particular 12 principles were operationalized though this man and this sport. The 12 principles are truly worth examining and applying in a universal way. I think it is clear that Dean Smith paid great tribute with the expression of his talents and skills, which contributed beyond an athletic program. The opportunity is presented to expand these into a formulation of leadership objectives that blend healthy values, long term vision and deep personal meaning. If you are not a basketball fan then the text could be somewhat tedious when wading through the illustrations. That notwithstanding, it is still relatively easy to enjoy the value of these principles and compare them with how you may be thinking, feeling or envisioning yourself and your management approach. This book can be made a study or a quick read, either way it is worth the time.