Books & Audiobooks
What happens when a hockey fan who lives and breathes recreational play, reads a football memoir with no knowledge of the sport (aside from knowing that Taylor Swift invented the NFL sometime in the early 2020s)? Several things. First, a greater appreciation for all that goes into coaching sports and the many “hats” that Belichick talks about wearing. Second, understanding that learning a sport thoroughly is for the aficionados; appreciating the fine art of good coaching requires an entirely different set of muscles. Third, realizing Belichick’s coaching genius, even if it was when I was 2025 years old.
The Art of Winning is an interesting book, not just because it’s written by one of the winningest coaches in NFL history, or because its advocates on the back cover boast the likes of Michael Jordan, Ray Dalio, Tom Brady, and Admiral McRaven. It’s an interesting book because it holds the kind of wisdom that’s applicable everywhere, and Belichick is a superb storyteller; locker room, to board room, to living room, it works wherever you need it. Belichick punctuates the story of his winning with the difficult truth that underpins success: it’s not glamorous, it disappears as soon as it happens, and there is no do-it-quick formula. The book is deliciously readable, which makes it great for busy coaches and leaders of all kinds.
There are would-be sound bites strewn throughout that offer clinch moment motivation for all situations. These include:
- “There will always be someone better. If someone better doesn’t exist yet, become that person.” (p.63)
- “As Tedy Bruschi said during a winning streak in 2003 and 2004, we didn’t win twenty-one games in a row; we won one game twenty-one times. Understand this difference. Each game was its own battle.” (p.73)
- And the seemingly counterintuitive but exceptionally wise: “That process beings with embracing dissatisfaction (like Pat and Tom) in pursuit of perfection (focusing on the errors you made even in the W) and will take you all the way to retirement. Perfection won’t be waiting for you there, but more Ws than you ever otherwise would have had will be. Stay dissatisfied. Stay focused.” (p.77)
I confess that I do not play competitive sports in a league, nor do I think of myself as particularly competitive against colleagues (though I will say that despite Big Shush Energy ™, library workers can be quite the competitive bunch), but certainly against myself and my own personal bests. I still found it inspiring, motivating, and filled with wisdom for the journey. I enjoyed the book because it fits the niche between sports psychology, memoir, leadership, and wellbeing that is not easy to categorize but that is immensely practical. I would highly recommend this to leaders who manage teams in any industry, but especially those focused on developing people rather than cultivating outcomes (because well-equipped people can consistently deliver an outcome). Belichick writes early in the book that his tome is not necessarily just about practice, but the process of winning and how it (much like the perennially popular Atomic Habits) calls upon transferable success habits. It’s the perfect beach read for sports fans, business leaders, and those looking for motivation unburdened by the paradigmatic trappings of New Year’s Resolutions.
You won’t find tell-all stories or details of locker room dramas, despite the fracas regularly surrounding the New England Patriots in their winning and losing seasons. Belichick meets readers on the page with the same de facto stance as he did when coaching players on the field (as evidenced by his eight Super Bowl rings). What you get from the book, depends on what you give yourself through its wisdom. There are no guarantees, only the decision to work hard and enjoy the temporary fruits of that choice with the team that soared to great heights with you. Taylor Swift may have reinvented the NFL for social media, but Belichick reminds readers of the timeless, analogue wisdom of the GOATs that made it great.