The book is a powerful leadership roadmap emphasizing standards, preparation, and belief in people rather than urging effort alone.
The reviewer appreciates how Bill Walsh’s philosophy replaces the common 'try harder' mentality with a rigorous focus on standards and preparation, enabling consistent high-level performance under pressure. They highlight Walsh's belief in controlling 80% of what happens through planning and preparation, and the crucial leadership message of inspiring belief in team members’ abilities.
Quick quotes
By focusing strictly on my Standard of Performance, the 49ers were able to play the bigger games very well because it was basically business as usual—no 'try harder' mentality was used.
I accepted the fact that I couldn’t control that 20 percent of each game. However, the rest of it—80 percent—could be under my control with comprehensive planning and preparation.
The most powerful way to do this is to have the courage to say, ‘I believe in you,’ in whatever words—or their equivalents—constitute the most inspirational message a leader can convey.