Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success

Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success was just the right book for me to read. Two of my passions are learning about spirituality and following professional sports. Long time NBA coach Phil Jackson discusses both these topics in depth in his new autobiography, giving a behind the scenes look at Jackson's eleven nba championship teams. On the basketball side, I enjoyed reading stories of Jackson's rise from a high school basketball player in North Dakota to the NBA's New York Knicks, and his coaching stints with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers. He tells stories of the star players he mentors, such as the Lakers Kobe Bryant. "When I'd first arrived in L.A., I'd encouraged Kobe to spend time with his teammates instead of hiding out in his hotel room studying videotape," Jackson recalls. "But he'd scoffed at the idea, claiming that all those guys were interested in were cars and women. (Soon) he was making an effort to connect more closely with his teammates and figure out how to forge them into a more cohesive team." Having long been a fan of NBA basketball I found Jackson's anecdotes about different high profile stars fascinating. In addition to Bryant, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Shaquille O'Neal, Dennis Rodman and other players on Jackson's teams are profiled in the book. Jackson's love of the game comes through. "Some coaches are obsessed with winning trophies; others like to see their faces on TV," he writes. "What moves me is watching young men bond together and tap into the magic that arises when they focus--with their whole heart and soul--on something greater than themselves. Once you've experienced that, it's something you never forget." Equally intriguing was Jackson's spiritual journey. His mother and father were Pentecostal Christian ministers, a path Jackson almost followed himself. He was initially reluctant to play for the Knicks as he wanted to go to graduate school to become a pastor. Jackson's transformation from fundamentalist Christian to Zen Buddhist is described in detail in Eleven Rings. "I am anti lemming by nature. It goes back to my childhood, when I was force-fed religious dogma by my parents," he writes. "I was expected to think and behave in a rigidly prescribed manner. As an adult, I've tried to break free from that early conditioning and develop a more open-minded, personally meaningful way of being in the world." How Jackson applies his spirituality to the ego driven, competitive world of the NBA comes across in page after page in the book. "For a long time, I believed I had to keep my personal beliefs separate from my professional life," he recalls. "In my quest to come to terms with my own spiritual yearning, I experimented with a wide range of ideas and practices, from Christian mysticism to Zen meditation and Native American rituals. Eventually, I arrived at a synthesis that felt authentic to me. And though at first I worried that my players might find my unorthodox views a little wacky, as time went by I discovered that the more I spoke from the heart, the more the players could hear me and benefit from what I'd gleaned." He teaches his Bulls team mindfulness meditation and gives players books to read to aid in their spiritual development. He even describes his basketball strategies in spiritual terms, calling his unique triangle offense "five-man tai chi". If you are a fan of NBA basketball, you'll love Eleven Rings for Jackson's insights into the game. The book is equally valuable in profiling the coach as a highly successful professional living his spirituality in everyday life.

I found the way the book was written to be very captivating and it continually drew me in and kept me wanting for more. The storyline was thoughtfully crafted and the frequent references to Zen made me want to study those teachings further. The measure of a well written book is first that you don't want to put it down and second that it introduces you to something new...this does both.

Phil Jackson was successful as a coach of eleven winning champion teams because he knew how to talk to his team. Certainly he was a great leader, but he also taught his players how to lead, to communicate and how to win. It takes a team to win a championship. We all know about the famous players, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'neill, but they can't win a game by themselves. Jackson has the wisdom and expertise to be able to see what each player needed from him. His observations of their egos and how to stroke them or reach them, drew them in. In one game, Jackson had a plan that Scottie Pippen didn't like. It was near the end of the game, and Jackson knew he had to have the team work together. He asked Pippin if he was in or out. Pippin said, "I'm out", so Jackson subbed someone else, and they won the game. Another player talked to Pippin after the game about his lack of teamwork. That was more effective than anything that Jackson could have done or said. Most of the book is filled with how the eleven games were won, and the players involved. Jackson is a spiritual man, and he employs the use of inspiration and Zen Buddhism to lead his life. He decided at one time he wanted to rest his mind and his soul, and through Zen he was able to Master his life. He would talk with his teams about Zen and yoga, and they would listen appreciatively. Jackson is a very intelligent man, reads a great deal, listens or attends TED discussions. He talks about his move from coaching in Chicago to Los Angeles. How he was able to get Kobe and Shaquille to work together for the team. He saw the advance in Kobe from a very selfish player to a leader. He takes some credit, but much of the success of the Lakers he attributes to the team working together. Jackson has thirteen championship rings. Eleven as a coach and two as a player. This is a man who has seen more championships than others, but is not as arrogant as depicted, he just does not have time to suffer fools. It was his physical body issues that caused him to stop coaching, a difficult but necessary decision. Phil Jackson deserves all the recognition he receives. A book well written by his co-writer, but the words are all Phil Jackson. Recommended. prisrob 02-11-14

A book where leadership, sporting success and spirituality come together. Fascinatingly interesting and very readable, this is a book that I'm sure I will come back to. Having grown up in England as a devout lover of football, this book gives a fabulous insight into an American sport and an icon of its sporting history. What strikes me as I read this is the thought that this is 'just a coach' and this is not to disparage but to admire p, hugely, that the writing, the thinking and what is contained is so far removed from the hum drum drudgery many us are regularly exposed to in English football! If you are a sports fan, read it. But this book transcends sport too. For anyone interested in mental strength, spiritual enlightenment, coaching and leadership this book has something for you and that it is bound up in sporting success for me makes it unputdownable!

i purchased this book after a friend recommended it to me. i wasnt expecting much, i am an nba fan but it was a book about a coach. boy was i wrong. this book is a must read for anyone growing up in the 'Jordan NBA' era not to mention shaq and kobe with the lakers. some great behind the curtain stories here

Easy to read book with so many examples of how to be a silent leader. Of course, Phil had many excellent subordinates that could, like MJ, change the game by themselves, but winning so many titles without a clear vision wouldn't be possible. Sports coaches give many examples of good leaders, and this book is an excellent position for someone who's trying to be a leader.

Great insight on how a mastermind thinks. Full of stories

Great book. It was recommended by a friend as a book that describes how to lead a group of very special people. Although I'm only half way through it, I'm impressed with Phil Jackson and his writing style. Really interesting how he connects being spiritual with winning.