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The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership Paperback – June 29, 2010

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 2,257 ratings

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The last lecture on leadership by the NFL's greatest coach: Bill Walsh

Bill Walsh is a towering figure in the history of the NFL. His advanced leadership transformed the San Francisco 49ers from the worst franchise in sports to a legendary dynasty. In the process, he changed the way football is played.

Prior to his death, Walsh granted a series of exclusive interviews to bestselling author Steve Jamison. These became his ultimate lecture on leadership.

Additional insights and perspective are provided by Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana and others.

Bill Walsh taught that the requirements of successful leadership are the same whether you run an NFL franchise, a fortune 500 company, or a hardware store with 12 employees. These final words of 'wisdom by Walsh' will inspire, inform, and enlighten leaders in all professions.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Bill Walsh was one of the NFL's all-time best; a creative genius, a master at management, and a brilliant student of human nature. The Score Takes Care of Itself is his own personal and powerful road map to success as a leader whether in professional football or anywhere else. Terrific reading; tremendous insights."
-Roger Goodell, commissioner of the NFL

"
The Score Takes Care of Itself is a leadership classic-a magnificent step-by-step tutorial on how to achieve success. It is practical, profound, and perfect for today's ultracompetitive business environment. Indispensable reading."
-Pat Williams, senior vice president of the Orlando Magic and author of
What Are You Living For?

"
The Score Takes Care of Itself is not about football. It's about how to treat people right. How to get the best out of the people around you. How to be a highly effective leader. I am thankful that this book about Bill Walsh's leadership point of view is now available to inspire countless leaders to come."
-Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager(r) and Leading at a Higher Level

"Bill's personal examples of how he implemented and executed each of these steps in the transformation of the San Francisco 49ers creates a fascinating story of business, football, and triumph. More than anything, Bill's story reminds business leaders that success is not accidental but rather the result of deliberate and tenacious preparation."
-John F. Milligan, Ph.D., president and COO of Gilead Sciences, Inc.

About the Author

Bill Walsh (1931–2007) is considered one of the greatest football coaches in NFL history. He is best known for serving as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, during which time he popularized the West Coast offense, a style of play that emphasizes passing over running. Walsh was honored in 1993 with an election into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Steve Jamison is America's foremost author and authority on the life and leadership of UCLA icon John Wooden, who is often cited as the greatest coach of the twentieth century. Together they collaborated on nine popular publications, including Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court. Mr. Jamison has also written books with other famous coaches, such as football’s Bill Walsh and tennis legend Brad Gilbert. In addition to his publishing and producing career, he is a popular speaker as well as executive producer of the John R. Wooden Leadership Course.

Craig Walsh is the executive director of Santa Clara’s Healthy Kids program and a former marketing executive for the San Francisco 49ers. He is the son of legendary football coach Bill Walsh.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Portfolio (June 29, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1591843472
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1591843474
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.42 x 0.77 x 8.35 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 2,257 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
2,257 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book well-organized and easy to read. They appreciate the systematic approach and simple, intuitive guidelines. The author's honest portrayal of the human side is appreciated. The book provides practical advice on performance that can be applied to a variety of professions.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

16 customers mention "Story quality"16 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the stories in the book. They find the stories vivid and enjoyable, especially the football ones. The book is based on real-life experiences and provides actionable advice. Readers appreciate the honest and direct approach to the concepts presented clearly.

"...The book itself is full of anecdotes and enough insights into Bill Walsh's football career to make the book interesting and usually informative for..." Read more

"...book for anyone who is a coach or business leader as you see a very honest a fine example of what goes into the habit and outcome of excellence..." Read more

"...Is is also very direct and candid about the people around him. He doesn't hold back his praise or criticism of anybody, including himself...." Read more

"...I have pages of notes and especially enjoyed the football stories as a long-time 49ers fan (although you don't have to be one to like the book)...." Read more

12 customers mention "Organization"9 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the book's organization. They find it well-structured, with a systematic approach and vivid storytelling. The book provides a structure for those who lead teams and organizational cultures. It includes lists on what makes a successful team and is formatted into separate lessons about leadership.

"Bill Walsh was a very complex, yet interesting man. He tells others when he made mistakes, was a workaholic, but it also tells where he gets it from...." Read more

"...Great lessons of how to build a great organization. As well as lessons of human nature...." Read more

"...It’s not broken into a traditional chapter structure however. More of a continuous strain of Walsh’s thoughts about leadership and its components...." Read more

"Well organized book, had some great lessons. It also revealed the difficulties an icon went through and how to avoid some of the issues he faced." Read more

11 customers mention "Readability"8 positive3 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and well-researched. They appreciate the author's unique way of writing short chapters that get to the point quickly. The book is written as an encomium but doesn't completely gloss over flaws.

"...and who closely followed the 49ers in the 1980s, the book is a fun, easy read...." Read more

"...The author is great and telling a story, packing in a lot of information and showing the human side to Bill Walsh...." Read more

"...Long read but excellent book." Read more

"The unique way of writing short chapters that directly get to the point is really right up my alley...." Read more

10 customers mention "Ease of application"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book provides practical guidelines with a down-to-earth and approachable approach. They appreciate the simple, intuitive points and quotes that can be applied to business organizations and educational institutions. The book helps build an assembly line for coaches.

"...camp, close to the summit: As a coach, this book will help you build the assembly line. The quality car (and football team) will follow:..." Read more

"The one thing I most like about this book is how Walsh continually talks about preparation...." Read more

"...The specifics of building a team were great. One of the best leadership books that I've read." Read more

"...The points in the book are simple and there are a tremendous amount of quotes that can be applied to all fields, not just running a professional..." Read more

6 customers mention "Human side"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book relatable and honest. They appreciate that it shows Bill Walsh's personal side and emotions. The book provides great insight into his professional plan for success.

"...The human side is very honest as well as it touches the coaches life in winning, losing, leading, coaching, family and brines of depression...." Read more

"Bill Walsh was a very complex, yet interesting man. He tells others when he made mistakes, was a workaholic, but it also tells where he gets it from...." Read more

"...is and was Bill Walsh just reiterated his amazing teaching, coaching, passion, knowledge for treating his players and so much, to respect and admire..." Read more

"It's a very confessional book and in that way very beautiful...." Read more

4 customers mention "Performance"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book helpful for setting a purposeful standard and achieving excellence. They appreciate the details required to excel, like dedication, hard work, and sacrifice. The book provides insights into the mind of a successful coach.

"...This is about showing the insane dedication, work, and sacrifice it takes to excel at what you do...." Read more

"...I must state that this book is chock full of the details required to achieve excellence in yourself and in your subordinates" Read more

"...Walsh came to work each day with a sense of purpose, Standard of Performance, and knew (and expected) exactly what he wanted from his organization...." Read more

"Excellent insight into the mind of a very successful coach. A must read for managers of any business because the concepts are 100% transferrable...." Read more

3 customers mention "Application"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book applicable to a variety of professions and walks of life. They appreciate the straightforward language and use of quotes that can be applied to all fields, not just running a professional.

"...leadership approach to football is straightforward and applicable to a variety of professions...." Read more

"...are simple and there are a tremendous amount of quotes that can be applied to all fields, not just running a professional team." Read more

"Great Leadership audiobook that can be applied to a variety of walks of life......" Read more

3 customers mention "Focus"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the author's focus. They say he has a clear vision and leads with excellence.

"...perspective on Transforming a toxic culture, how to lead with clarity, vision and and unwavering excellence in you do...." Read more

"...of meeting Coach Walsh on multiple occasions, and was always impressed by the focus he maintained on the person he was speaking with...." Read more

"...most of our world, (planning, personality, perspectives) open the eyes to a bigger, maybe not a better world, to get a glimpse of...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2024
    I read every day. I love to read. I love reading books that touch my soul. Today, I finished one of those books: “The Score Takes Care of Itself, My Philosophy of Leadership by the late Bill Walsh with Steve Jamison & Craig Walsh. A phenomenal read!!

    I love football (life long Cowboys fan) and I remember Coach Walsh beginning his time in San Fran and the infamous catch. This book gave me perspective on Transforming a toxic culture, how to lead with clarity, vision and and unwavering excellence in you do. I felt the conviction and sadness of a Master of his craft battle desperately trying to be honored by his peers who did not understand how far ahead of his time he was. The NFL of today owes Coach Walsh a debt of gratitude because his offense.

    He also revealed that every coach, executive “pushes themselves to the brink and beyond, often have no support system and become isolated from family, friends, and normal interactions.” His story teaches me to be a better life and leadership coach and to be a part of that “support system” leaders can turn to.

    Coach Walsh, your legacy lives on. Thank you.

    NFL fan? Read this book. Leader of an organization or team? Read this book. Feeling burned out as a leader? Read this book.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2024
    The book packs all the key pieces of knowledge about leadership Walsh gained over his 30+ years coaching. The lessons in this book are not only useful for coaches but anyone in a leadership position. It’s not broken into a traditional chapter structure however. More of a continuous strain of Walsh’s thoughts about leadership and its components. Would highly recommend.
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2023
    I understand it's difficult for Bill Walsh's son to write a novel that comprises mostly his own father's unfinished book. The book itself is full of anecdotes and enough insights into Bill Walsh's football career to make the book interesting and usually informative for running operations. The fault that I find is that there does not seem to be any real logical construction. There is no consistent theory or approach under which to place his stories or anecdotes. Instead, the book comprises a long list of 1-3-5 page snippets of how Bill Walsh ran his organization. Perhaps that organization makes for a good bathroom reader, but for someone trying to decipher a methodology or formula, well, the structure is simply lacking.

    As someone who has been involved in management and who closely followed the 49ers in the 1980s, the book is a fun, easy read. If you're looking for a guide to good management, there are some suggest embedded in the book, but you'll have to make your own cohesive theory and approach to bring it all together.
    4 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2024
    My manager recommended this book as a guide to leadership. I am so thankful! So many lessons learned from Bill Walsh that I will be able to apply to my career and my personal life. Highly recommended!!!
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2012
    Great insights into the ideas that took Bill Walsh to the pinnacle of the coaching profession and the stressors that wore him down. The "Score Takes Care of Itself" relates to Walsh's "Standard of Performance" and the idea that if you have a consistently high quality process that you will produce a high quality product. You will always be in the base camp, close to the summit: As a coach, this book will help you build the assembly line. The quality car (and football team) will follow:

    Bill Walsh on the Standard of Performance:
    * Culture precedes positive results. It doesn't get tacked on as an afterthought on the way to the victory stand. Champions behave like champions before they are champions.
    * The exceptional assembly line comes before the quality car - strive to make your assembly line better and better.
    * All we can do is increase the probability of success. Do it by intelligently and relentlessly seeking solutions that will increase your chances of prevailing in a competitive environment. When you do that, the score will take care of itself.
    * Teach players to hate mistakes in games and practice - if you aim for perfection and miss, you're still pretty good...if you aim for mediocrity...
    * "Organizational excellence evolves from the perfection of details relevant to performance and production."
    * "I know what is required for us to win. I will show you what it is."
    * "There are winners and there are people who would like to be winners but just don't know how to do it."
    35 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2021
    This book is about Bill Walsh’s philosophy of leadership that he implemented with the San Francisco 49ers. It is inspiring and relevant for any leader or anyone who wants to be leader. He describes his Standard of Performance, a way an organization can achieve excellence and execute towards perfection, and the definition of success for the organization as well as concepts and fundamentals of leadership and the lessons he learned. What made these ideas come to life was the examples interspersed with the lessons in the book.

    When I started the book, I knew about Bill Walsh at a high level about Bill Walsh as the leader of the 49ers, just what I got from the news headlines. Now I have a better understanding and appreciation for the 49ers organization and what he did as the head coach and GM. I will be studying Bill’s values, principles, and leadership philosophy as I develop my own.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2023
    I had the privilege of meeting Coach Walsh on multiple occasions, and was always impressed by the focus he maintained on the person he was speaking with. He took a genuine interest in others and particularly in those who he coached. While much of his book may contain common sense to many of us, his presentation of maxims to live and work by can be understood and applied by anyone who cares to live-up to being the best they can be. This book will not disappoint anyone who chooses to learn from a master of motivation and professionalism.

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • gabriel
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente livro
    Reviewed in Brazil on November 10, 2024
    Excelente livro, recomendo a todos
  • Alf
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good Read
    Reviewed in Canada on August 5, 2024
    This pertains to a lot more than football. His approach to leadership is applicable to any organisation that has employees. Well presented.
  • Cliente de Amazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente
    Reviewed in Mexico on December 11, 2021
    El libro es recomendado por los emprendedores de y-combinator y es simplemente excelente. Si no vas a meter más que un libro de management lee este. No es sobre fútbol americano, sino como reorganizar una organización con base en liderazgo.
  • Ajesh
    5.0 out of 5 stars it a handy book on leadership skills
    Reviewed in India on December 21, 2022
    I would recommend it for everyone around who is willing to put an extra yard and want to succeed in what he/ she is doing.
  • Significant Other
    5.0 out of 5 stars Actually very useful
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 14, 2022
    I don't understand the negative reviews that say this is not actually giving guidance..i don't think they've ever looked in it

    This book is actually structured as an instruction manual in a lot of ways, with actual life experiences this guy had on his way from the bottom to the top of his field

    He actually gives very good accounts of what he learned and found helps to build your team and achieve goals and at the end of each chapter gives numbered lists of key points to do to try to do things like build a career, build a team, deal with troublemakers, get through difficult times etc etc.

    I was not expecting this book to be that great after some of the negative reviews and nearly never bought it but after reading it i have found it is one of the best instructional books on the actual USEFUL principles THAT REALLY ACTUALLY HELP when building a career and building teams to achieve your goals that i have seen

    The guy seems like he had a good heart and was tough but fair and made sure people did things the way he felt it could work.

    If you are into the American football it would be an interesting read to see how things were behind the scenes on his way from being a college football apprentice coach really and his battles to get to the top of his field. Good on him. He did it.

    This is an interesting read, it's also really good one just to randomly open a page up and see what it says for a thought for the day or a bit of inspiration when i am feeling stuck.

    It's a bit like having your own top coach telling you how you can get your day to better for you..

    I'm trying rebuild my life right now after really difficult times, if you want to see my progress and me talking about what i find works and what doesn't please check out my Castle Hassall TV channel on YouTube and my music there I'd really appreciate it.. Best wishes to anyone reading this,i hope you have a very good future, from Rolland