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TRANSCRIPT
PLAYBOOKFO R
Business Tactics forTeamwork and
SUCCESS
NANCY LIEBERMANFor ewor d by E ARV I N “MAG IC” JOH NSON
A Hall of Famer’s
Leadership
LIEBERMA
NPLAYBOOK FOR SUCCESSPLAYBOOK FOR SUCCESS
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 fi rst female head coach in the NBA’s
Development League for the Dallas Mavericks
affi liate the Texas Legends.
How did Lieberman blaze such a trail and break so
many barriers, both in sports and business? By de-
veloping and sticking to her own playbook for suc-
cess. 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 leg-
endary competitor, Playbook for Success speaks
in particular to women who are ready to play in
any business arena they choose and push them-
selves 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 connec-
tion between excelling in both sports and business.
Find the proven sports skills to bring your profes-
sional A-game to your business, compete, and win
with Playbook for Success.
NANCY LIEBERMAN is a basketball hall of famer,
two-time Olympian, Head Coach of the Dallas Mav-
ericks NBA Development team the Texas Legends,
former WNBA player, head coach, and general
manager, broadcaster, analyst, writer, and moti-
vational speaker. Nancy provides commentary for
ABC, ESPN, and NBA-TV and has been a contrib-
uting writer for the New York Times and USA To-
day. 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.
Visit www.NancyLieberman.com
Author Photo: Steve Foxall Photography
“[Lieberman’s] advice on leadership and teamwork translates to any arena.” —Harvey Mackay, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller
Swim with the Sharks without Being Eaten Alive
“Nancy has written a terrifi c guide for success in any area. Her insights into sports are vividly translated into specifi c tips for business success, and her points are well illustrated.” —Donald J. Trump, Chairman and CEO, Trump Organizations
“A commonsense, straightforward, insightful look at making improvements and ex-celling at work, at home, and in life.” —Billie Jean King, tennis great
“Losers are easy to spot, and winners, like Nancy Lieberman, are real fi nds. Nancy has written a playbook on how to be a winner, not just in sports, but in the rough-and-tumble business world. There are some great lessons here.” —T. Boone Pickens
“As Nancy inspired me when I was playing girls high school basketball, so she in-spires me as a women in the sports industry today!” —Casey Coffman, Executive VP, Business Development and Operations,
Madison Square Garden (MSG) Sports
“Playbook for Success is a winner for you and your company.” —Mark Cuban, Dallas Mavericks owner
“Nancy’s combination of acute street smarts, phenomenal athletic ability, and straight-up business acumen makes for a great how-to guide for all businesswomen.” —Martina Navratilova, Tennis Hall of Famer
“In Playbook for Success, Nancy Lieberman clearly illustrates how the values of sports—including teamwork, dedication, and discipline—can be effectively applied off the court to achieve success in business. Her passion is palpable.” —David Stern, NBA Commissioner
“Nancy Lieberman’s Playbook for Success is a ‘Life Guide 101’ for every female, ten to one hundred. Every page reveals a valuable lesson that will enable success from the classroom to the boardroom.” —Muhammad Ali, three-time World Heavyweight Champion
$24.95 USA / $29.95 CAN
Make business success a slam dunk with basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman
( c o n t i n u e d o n b a c k f l a p )
( c o n t i n u e d f r o m f r o n t f l a p )
Praise for PL AYBOOK FOR SUCCESSPL AYBOOK FOR SUCCESS
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Praise for Playbook for Success
‘‘Nancy has clearly experienced so much success in the world of basketball. She alsopossesses many great leadership qualities that have driven her to success off thecourt. She is a committed, confident, and resourceful person who has demon-strated the ability to lead people and accomplish great things. She is a true Hall ofFamer not only in basketball, but also in life.’’
—NORBY WILLIAMSON
EXECUTIVE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDIO AND
EVENT PRODUCTION ESPN
‘‘Nancy has done something essential with Playbook for Success. She has produced aroadmap for decision making. She demonstrates that leadership requires ability topersuade and to make those who follow stronger as they move forward. Her passionto perform in sports and business is captured on every page. She has hit the mostimportant shot of her illustrious career with this book!’’
—JERRY JONES
OWNER OF THE DALLAS COWBOYS
‘‘There is no doubt that Nancy Lieberman’s personal playbook for life has beenone geared to success. I have known her for most of our lives, and through all ofher endeavors, she has demonstrated that hard work and a strategic approach tosolving problems is what will get you far. We can all learn from her playbook.’’
—DONNA ORENDER
WNBA PRESIDENT
‘‘I’ve been exposed to countless ‘how to succeed’ books over the years, but NancyLieberman’s Playbook for Success is my favorite. It contains the perfect blend ofhumor, personal experiences, strategies, and stories that make this book a highlyentertaining read. It provides a legitimate pathway to a life of significance. It’s atruly amazing work!’’
—SAM CASTER
CEO MANNATECH
‘‘It has been our pleasure to knowNancy on a personal level, and gradually come tolearn how very many layers make up this phenomenal human being. While sharingher sense of humor, drive, success, and support of others Nancy has managed to
E1FFIRS_1 08/30/2010 2
write a concise, thoughtful, and applicable plan for success in business and personalgoals. Nancy has been able to bridge the gap between team sports and success inbusiness. Her book is not only a must read, but a must give.’’
—MELISSA AND RUSSELL B. WIGHT
DIRECTOR OF ALEXANDER, INC.
‘‘Nancy Lieberman is the best there ever was. An American legend, she broughthome the gold for the U.S.A. She inspires millions of girls and boys to reach for thestars, to do their best, and to never give up. Business is a lot like basketball, andNancy tells us—in words we can all understand—how to build great companyteams and win competitive games in the economic market place.’’
—SAM WYLY
BUSINESS ENTREPRENEUR/AUTHOR OF 1,000 DOLLARS & AN IDEA
‘‘At first glance one might think a Playbook for Success is a book written for women.However, a Playbook for Success is a ‘must read’ for every teenage boy and girl, youngman and women, and business executive who is passionate about being a betterperson, student, player, leader, and business executive.’’
—JERRY COLANGELO
FORMER MLB, NBA, WNBA, NHL OWNER
NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF USA BASKETBALL
‘‘Nancy’s Playbook for Success has rationalized clearly for me the relationship betweena sports career or effort and overall success as an individual or team member.Trying harder, as she constantly brings up, is also the key factor in any success story.As an athlete I have been limited by pursuing a business career at the same time, butI am enjoying both enormously.’’
—JORGE PAULO LEMANN
BUSINESS ENTREPRENEUR
‘‘In sports and in business, teamwork is essential. When you have the right peoplein the right places working together to do the right thing, miracles happen. Nancy’sbook teaches us a lot about the importance of teamwork and business.’’
—ROGER STAUBACHHALL OF FAME QUARTERBACK
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PLAYBOOKFOR
SUCCESS
E1FFIRS_1 08/30/2010 4
E1FFIRS_1 08/30/2010 5
PLAYBOOKFOR
SUCCESSA Hall of Famer’sBusiness Tacticsfor Teamworkand Leadership
NANCY LIEBERMAN
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
E1FFIRS_1 08/30/2010 6
Copyright © 2010 by Nancy Lieberman. All rights reserved.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.Published simultaneously in Canada.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmittedin any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, orotherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United StatesCopyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, orauthorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright ClearanceCenter, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permissionshould be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 RiverStreet, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used theirbest efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respectto the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim anyimplied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty maybe created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice andstrategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult witha professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for anyloss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special,incidental, consequential, or other damages.
For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, pleasecontact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762-2974,outside the United States at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002.
Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appearsin print may not be available in electronic books. For more information about Wileyproducts, visit our web site at www.wiley.com.
ISBN 978-0-470-63552-0 (cloth)ISBN 978-0-470-90504-3 (ebk)ISBN 978-0-470-90506-7 (ebk)ISBN 978-0-470-90507-4 (ebk)
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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For every person that wants more from themselves and in life—trust your heartand love what you do. Just don't talk about it, be about it. Mom and TJ, youare the stars of my dream journey and with your love, I am who I said I would be.
Nancy
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Contents
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
ix
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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
x CONTENTS
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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
CONTENTS xi
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Foreword
My friendship with Nancy goes back almost 30 years. Our
basketball careers have been intertwined as we watched and
cheered for each other’s success. As point guards, our competitive-
ness, leadership, and overall commitment to make the people
around us better helped lead us to our true calling as entrepreneurs.
With this book, Lady Magic delivers again! It fills your appetite
with wisdom, insight, and motivation. She’s a Hall of Famer and a
winner. You can use her Playbook for Success as your daily routine forbusiness and life’s success. She has taught countless men and women
to have the mind-set of a champion and to never fear success.
I had Larry Bird to help push me to greatness by winning five
NBA Titles with the Los Angeles Lakers, but Nancy overcame the
obstacles of not having a rival or WNBA in her prime but still had
the passion and purpose to come back and be the oldest player in the
inaugural season of the WNBA.
I didn’t know it at the time, but Nancy tells the story of us sitting
at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. I asked her while we were watching
a game, ‘‘So are you going to play in theWNBA next year?’’ She said,
‘‘I hope so.’’ I said, ‘‘Nancy then you better get home and start
training.’’ She did, and thus made history at the age of 39 with the
Phoenix Mercury. Today my friend is still making history. She is a
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successful business leader, inspiring role model, and the first female
to ever coach in the NBA’s Development League team for the Dallas
Mavericks. She definitely has a roadmap for success on and off the
court. Her book Playbook for Success is nothing more than how she
has led her life. Well done my friend!
—Earvin ‘‘Magic’’ Johnson
xiv FOREWORD
E1FLAST02_1 08/23/2010 15
Acknowledgments
Often in life, we get pigeonholed by others, people who thinkthey know who we really are. I am a basketball player, so what
can I possibly have to tell people, especially women, about business?My answer is, I have a lot of life to share.
I also have a lot of thanks to share with those who helped me in thewriting of this book.
To Dan Ambrosio at JohnWiley & Sons, Inc.: You are priceless forgiving me a platform from which I can share my experiences. Specialthanks to Ashley Allison and Peter Knox.
To Jared Sharp at PTA: I am deeply grateful.To Christine Moore: For all your painstaking time spent editing
my manuscript and working through my tender-loving sarcasmand humor.
To Sally Giddens Stephenson: You worked the ‘‘two-minute drill’’like nobody else in dealing with our deadline. I am so thankful foryour willingness to pursue this project and for your focus to succeed.You are a true winner!
To Nena Madonia: I was told a few years ago that Jan Miller wasthe Michael Jordan of publishing agents, and she has the rings toprove it. Michael had Scottie Pippen, and Jan has Nena Madonia,who was my ‘‘go-to player’’ on this book. I have never seen you have
xv
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a bad day, and your spirit and love never wavered for my vision forPlaybook for Success. I’m deeply grateful.
To be successful, I have always needed someone who hadmy back.This responsibility falls daily on the shoulders of my favorite MSUSpartan, Theresa Pusateri. She is more than my trusted assistant; sheis a true rock of a human being. She keeps my days organized. She ismy memory, my right and my left hands. T, you have been a trueblessing to me and TJ Thank you for your endless hours to help keepme focused, allowing me to make a difference for others!
TJ, I wake up each day proud to be your mom, and wanting to beyour hero in life. I love you dearly. And to many of my friends andfamily who heard me say, ‘‘I’ll get back to you; I have to finish mybook,’’ thank you all for your patience.
xvi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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1
Why Sports andBusiness forWomen?
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Never stop working, wanting, or dreaming.
—NANCY LIEBERMAN
How does a poor girl from Far Rockaway, New York, defy the
odds and become a Hall of Fame basketball player, coach,
author, television analyst, entrepreneur, and mom? The simple
answer is luck, and in many cases, I created my own luck. However,
the complete story about how I got from there to here involves love,
passion, faith, vision, fearlessness, and a stubborn will to succeed.
I’ve lived my own Playbook for Success, and it comes naturally to
me. Now I’m putting it all down in this book to share what I’ve
learned with you: the secrets and steps that will take you to new levels
of success you didn’t think were possible. Well, they are! I know this
from firsthand experience. My life has been about overachieving and
showing people that they, too, could do anything they wanted to
do—if they had a plan and were willing to put in the hard work.
The streets of New York gave me a toughness that has helped me
to survive and keep moving forward when everything seemed
hopeless. If not for the playbook provided to me at a young age
by Lavoiser Lamar, one of my coaches in Harlem, you might not be
reading my book—or absorbing and utilizing this plan for your own
personal growth and success.
My days on the courts proved invaluable in developing my
competitive spirit. They taught me not only how to win but also
how to use my losses as tools for evaluating myself, zeroing in on my
weaknesses, and turning them into strengths. I had to be honest: Did
I make myself and others around me better? Now, you might be
shaking your head and wondering, ‘‘How does athletic experience
translate into business success?’’ Well, whether you’re a female
doctor, lawyer, stockbroker, sales or marketing associate, business
3
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manager or owner, it’s still a man’s world, and we women must be
able to communicate, interact, earn respect, lead, and impact
everyone who comes in contact with us. Playbook for Success: AHall of Famer’s Business Tactics for Teamwork and Leadership will letyou in on something men have been doing for a very long time:
connecting through, and using what they’ve learned by participating
in, sports, to get ahead in the business world.
I made history as the youngest Olympic basketball player ever, but
that wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t played in the schoolyard
against the boys. They pushed me, made me work harder, and taught
me to show up—and toughen up, both mentally and physically—if I
intended to play in their game. Man, did I take some bruises to my
body and ego early on! But those lessons taught me to keep coming
back and get better. Along the way, I developed a successful strategy
for self-improvement—one that I still utilize today.
Want to know how I always got into the basketball games at
Harlem’s Rucker Park? Simple: To be allowed to play, you had to
hit your foul shots. The first 10 players to do so were automatically
in the game. Well, I couldn’t dunk, and I wasn’t as fast or as strong
as the guys, but I could hit my foul shots. When the baddest dudes
with all the talent couldn’t, I could. That, my friend, is what got me
on the court time after time, and left those guys who threw up the
bricks from the foul line sitting in the stands waiting for their turn
to play. I found my strength and a strategy, and I used them to be
successful. I didn’t know at the time that I was using a Playbook forSuccess, but I was.
Once I proved myself to be a worthy contributor, the guys began
to respect me, protect me, and share with me what they knew
about the game. To this day, so many of those simple but vital
strategies I learned back then play a huge part in my interactions as
a business leader—with both men and women. I’m in the business
of sports, a multibillion-dollar industry; in fact, it’s the fourteenth
largest-grossing industry sector—larger than the steel and railroad
industries. My point is, love and/or knowledge of sports can bring
4 PLAYBOOK FOR SUCCESS