Russell Rules: 11 Lessons on Leadership from the Twentieth Century's Greatest Winner

how can Celtic Pride work for you? What can you do in a practical way to implement the lessons and rules contained in this book? Let’s briefly review our lessons: Curiosity is a key to commitment and, specifically, to problem solving. Curiosity will always allow you to ask the right questions . . . Why? What if? How? Everything you do begins with y

Mentoring is not hard work. Mentoring is about creating an awakening. It is breathing life into abilities, capabilities, and potential that are living under the surface but need to see the sunlight. Mentoring is as old as the human race and is about redefining teamwork in a new context. It’s a collaboration. Mentoring is the gift of a relationship.

What makes my teammates, coach, and I so close is that the experience of being a successful team has never left us. Who we are today has nothing to do with reliving our glory years but everything to do with the mutual understanding we continue to share about how winning takes place. Celtic Pride isn’t a diploma, it’s how to manage your life. The pr

David Falkner is the author of several highly acclaimed books on sports including Sadaharu Oh: A Zen Way of Baseball, The Last Yankee, and Great Time Coming: The Life of Jackie Robinson from Baseball to Birmingham.

Nearly all my teammates understood Celtic Pride in terms of what needed to be done to make us winners. John Havlicek, who was our other great sixth man, told a reporter one time that starting wasn’t as important as finishing. How to win meant doing exactly what was called for. John was completely devoid of pretension.

I had decided to retire before the season had begun but chose not to announce it for three reasons. First, I didn’t want to go through the year with everyone saying good-bye. That would place too much attention on me. Secondly, Sam had announced that the ’68–69 season was his last, and I didn’t want to take anything away from the recognition he rea

Finding a way to win in life and business has little to do with your station in life. There are opportunities everywhere, and you must take advantage of them. I have memories of many who did just that.

I must say a word about an obvious tension that exists between reading and doing. To state a rule, to elaborate a lesson, is one thing, but at the end some heavy lifting must be done, and those who want to bring Celtic Pride into their lives, their businesses, must make sure to do it. No one can ease the way for you.

What I most want to emphasize is that what is called for here is not self-improvement, but applying what you already have. You don’t need to be better than you are.