BUILDING AND SUSTAINING A CHAMPIONSHIP CULTURE

We often blog about books or share excerpts of books in hope that it is something that can help you, your team or your family.  On a rare occasion I will speak of a book in a "must-read" tone.  Today is such a day.

I'm not sure there is a more important word in successful teams and organizations today than "culture."  From Webster we see that culture is defined in this manner:

¹cul·ture
 noun \ˈkəl-chər\

: the beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place, or time

: a particular society that has its own beliefs, ways of life, art, etc.

: a way of thinking, behaving, or working that exists in a place or organization (such as a business)

 

I have blogged about culture in the past.  It is so important I made it part of our summer camp's expectation seminar titled "Creating A Culture of Personal Excellence."

 

In fact, here is link to 17 other posts in regard to culture.  It was what your program truly is -- what it stands for.   The key steps in creating culture include:

 

Step One: Defining what you want your culture to be, understanding that culture leads to legacy.

 

Step Two: Working to teach and emphasize those components necessary to create your culture to all involved in your team.

 

Step Three: Working each day to maintain your culture.

 

This week Jeff Janssen released a book "How To Build And Sustain A Championship Culture."  It is by far the best book I have seen on this subject and would benefit any coach in any sport on any level.

 

As Jeff says "Winners have a certain way of doing things."

 

The table of contents from Jeff's book gives great insight into how the book is written:

 

1. Culture is King

2. 8 Kind of Cultures

3. 6 Key Components of a Championship Culture

4. Credible Leaders

5. Clear and Compelling Vision

6. Core Values

7. Standard of Behavior

8. Committed and Unified Team

9. Aligned Systems

10. Your 10-Step Blueprint to Build a Championship Culture

 

I have seen nothing more complete on the subject of culture than Jeff's book.  I can also tell you from my relationship with Jeff that this has been a lengthy process because he understood the relevance of it towards the success of an organization and, as he does in all his books, wanted to do detailed research.  That research included looks into cultures created by Mike Krzyzewski, Bill Walsh, and Annson Dorrance just to name a few

 

One of the profound concepts that Jeff's book talks about is does your program have a culture?  The answer is yes -- whether you know it or not or know what it is or not.  As Jeff says:

 

"Whether you realize it or not, your program already has a culture. Even if you are a new coach coming into a different program, you will need to contend with a culture that is already in place. So the question is not, 'Do we have a culture?' You do."

 

The importance of this book is that not only does it help you to define your team's culture but goes to great length in giving your methods of examples of how to build it and maintain it.  One of may great quotes in the book comes from Coach Mike Krzyzewski:

 

“You cannot merely expect culture to be a natural occurrence; it has to be taught and made a part of your everyday routine.”

 

This weekend I will have a few blog posts from "How To Build And Sustain A Championship Culture" but I would highly recommend purchasing this book.  I purchased 10 copies today for some of my coaching friends  --  I think it's that good.