Coaching Your Kids to Be Leaders: The Keys to Unlocking Their Potential (Hardcover)

by Pat Williams (Author), John Wooden (Contributor) "I was a young leader, but I didn't know it..." (more)
Key Phrases: coaching your kids, look for young people, young leaders, New York, Coach Carter, Boy Scouts (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Williams—senior v-p of the NBA's Orlando Magic, former general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers, author (How to Be Like Mike) and a motivational speaker—draws on the lessons he's learned as a Christian, a father (of 19 biological and adopted children) and a sports executive in this book on training and inspiring children to become future leaders. After interviewing more than 500 well-known leaders, including Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, leadership guru John Maxwell and Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, Williams concludes that effective leaders aren't born but made. He outlines seven steps to becoming an effective leader: "see a vision," "be a communicator," "build good people skills," "build good character," "build competence," "be bold" and "be a servant." Using Jesus as his model, Williams points out that the best leaders pursue their roles not for power but to serve. Not surprisingly, Williams claims that getting children involved in sports is the best way to begin teaching them leadership skills, but he also allows for other avenues, such as scouting and the arts. While Williams's core premise—that developing young leaders is a "top goal" for parents—is certainly arguable, readers who do place leadership high on their list of hopes for their children won't be disappointed by this amiable and instructive text.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Williams, a veteran NBA executive, draws on his own experience with and observations of motivational and sports figures such as Jerry West, Red Auerbach, and George McGovern to examine the nature of leadership and how parents can encourage leadership abilities in their children. Part 1 defines leadership, formal and informal, and encourages parents to see themselves as their children's first teachers and coaches. The second part outlines the seven qualities of effective leaders and devotes a separate chapter to each: vision, communication, people skills, character, competence, boldness, and servanthood. Part 3 details how parents can mentor their children in developing leadership abilities. Williams notes that there are different ways to be leaders; that leadership is not always directing but can also entail persuading, unifying, and perfecting. Williams' perspective is faith based and relies heavily on sports images, but parents can gain valuable insights on unlocking their children's potential. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: FaithWords (January 4, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446533491
• ISBN-13: 978-0446533492
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #446,557 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful Wisdom for Every Adult Who Knows a Kid!, February 21, 2005

By	Truth Pursuer (Lake Forest, CA United States) - See all my reviews

What a great age to be living in when men like Pat Williams, father of nineteen and sports executive for more than forty years, pour out their years of learning on the rest of us. He gives us a fully balanced picture in this treasure chest of encouragement, including interviews with hundreds of leaders throughout America.

Coaching Your Kids to be Leaders offers a thorough examination of leadership styles and advice. Williams begins by identifying the need for young leaders. One look at today's headlines and we are in agreement with him. He builds a case for leadership training in the home, takes a look at its nature, then tells us how to identify leadership potential in young people (and even the not so young people!)

Williams and his writing partner, Jim Denney, offer sound direction and seven easy to grasp principles for putting our kids on the path toward success: see a vision; be a good communicator; build good people skills; build good character; build competence; be bold; and most important-be a servant.

Practical instruction in how to mentor kids wraps up this complete picture. Who could resist the call to be a hero to some young person? If that role appeals to you, then this book is a tool you'll need to get there.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Future In Their Hands, April 11, 2005

By	S. Seigel (Planet Earth) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This wonderful volume extends the authors knowledge of sports leadership into all walks of life. With many practical applications and plentiful material from myriad sources, this is among my very favorite leadership books.

Don't be fooled into thinking this book is only for making leaders of children. This is just as applicable to subordinates and perhaps even to a floundering but teachable superior. It's highly accesible while remaining concise and never overstating a point.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Just for Teaching Kids... But Teaching Yourself, May 10, 2007

By	Stoney G. deGeyter "President, Pole Position ... (Reno, NV United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this book because I wanted to learn how to better train my children to grow up to be leaders. As I started reading I quickly found that this book isn't just for parents of children, but for anybody who wants to learn what it means to be a better leader themselves.

Coaching provides example after example of leaders in business, sports and politics and how they learned to develop themselves into leaders. Many of their stories talk about how they became leaders early on in childhood because of mentors, teachers and parents who pushed them to be something great.

Each chapter takes the reader through the leadership process, what it means and how to become and effective leader. Coaching is simultaneously an inspirational book while also providing solid points, tips and strategies in developing oneself (or one's children) into strong leaders. No leadership rock is left unturned or secret uncovered.