Raise Your Game: High-Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best

The media could not be loaded. [You can listen to my audio review above -- including a somewhat amusing and comical anecdote + video twist starting at the 6:53 mark 🤣]I first heard about Alan Stein Jr when he was on the Ed Mylett Podcast, which aired in mid-June of 2021.And I also highly recommend his podcast aptly titled the “Raise Your Game Show with Alan Stein, Jr.”If I could encapsulate what this book is: This book is a both a strategic and actionable guide on how ambitious individuals and teams can operate from a place of internal harmony.WHY does harmony matter?Alan has said before (in fact on Ed’s podcast): Burnout doesn’t occur solely from us working too hard…it’s specifically when we’re working hard, yet lack a sense of purpose doing so.How many of us have thought we have to grind non-stop to be “successful” (whatever that even means)?! That's how I've operated for the overwhelming majority of my life (in complete disharmony - 'I will be happen when I am successful'), and really it's just led to suffering without meaningful results.And while there are many basketball/sports stories, the lessons are universal - even if you actually loathe sports.Here's a summary of my favorite points (the audio I've recorded expands on these points):--Point 1: Building Inner Harmony as an Ambitious Person"The very first step to raising performance is learning how to live present. The happiest, most influential, and most successful people I’ve ever met are able to put their full attention into the present moment.""They have learned how to focus on three things: 1. The next play 2. The controllables 3. The process"Here’s a foundational argument for the rest of this book: the single most important thing a person needs for success is self-awareness. This includes who you are, what you can do, what you can’t do, where your value comes from, and where you need improvement.""In fact, according to a Harvard study, 'People spend 46.9 percent of their waking hours thinking about something other than what they’re doing.' That’s nearly half the day of not being where their feet are."--Point 2: “The most effective thing you can do on the court is know, embrace, and fulfill your role to the best of your ability.”"Well rounded is overrated. Use your self-awareness to double down on what you do best. Find the one thing you do better than anyone else and continue to pour into that."--Point 3: “Leadership isn’t about forcing others in a direction; it’s about moving ahead and trusting others will follow. Trusting they will want to follow.” Includes tons of anecdotes and tangible samples on this one.--Point 4: "It is not about 'grinding,' it is about working hard at something you enjoy."“Happiness, according to researchers, is about purpose and productivity.”“If you consider work a “grind”—a word I hate—then it will remain so.”“You don’t have to love the hard work,” NBA trainer Tim Grover wrote. “You just have to crave the end result so intensely that the hard work is irrelevant.”There are multiple great self-tests included to help us identify our blind spots and take action, e.g.: Self-Test 1: What specific thing do you do at a very high level? 2. If I polled the people closest to you, what would they say you do really well? 3. How many opportunities do you have to do this thing?]Seriously read this book if you consider yourself an ambitious/goal-oriented person or you want to lead a high-performing team of any kind. If you've arrived at this book listing...you probably fit the bill.

This might just be one of the best all-around books on improving individual, team, or organizational performance ever written. I can comfortably say this having read almost all of the "greats" from Drucker to Collins to Achor to Clifton to Welch, no one lays it out quite as comprehensibly yet simply as Alan does in this book. Maybe it's all the easy to understand sports analogies and examples, or maybe it's just because he's so insightful, but his main points are relevant to people at any level of status or hierarchy. Alan isn't preachy, but he does put things bluntly. But the main points all have one thing in common: they address the things that make us good humans, not just good employees. Be a better person, and you'll be a better employee. How to be more insightful, more collaborative, more passionate, more invested in others, and more connected to your mission...all in one book!Raise your game draws extensively from Alan's work in the world of high school, college, and professional basketball, yet even for someone like me who doesn't actually follow basketball, it all made sense. He quotes hundreds of leadership gurus, leadership coaching experts, and actual sports coaches and players to piece together a book that covers all the bases.I actually ran out of sticky flags and exhausted an entire highlighter reading this book, that's how salient his message is for today's business leaders, HR professionals, and really, any human looking to be a better colleague, friend, or significant other.

Why you ask?For the very reason that you will not stop nodding your head in agreement that this is sheerly one of the best books you HAVE or will EVER read. PERIOD.Besides supporting one of the most quality souls currently in existence, it will be utterly impossible for you to not absorb a plethora of quality life lessons remarkably simplified so they may be properly processed, digested and therefore implemented into YOUR life creating a BETTER YOU.Anyone who truly knows Alan would be kidding themselves if they would have thought that he would allow anything other than a forged work of literary perfection to be released without it being designed to guarantee immediate and impactful real life benefit(s) to each and every individual blessed with the opportunity to read his efforts.Those of us who truly give a damn about themselves or anyone else as far as I am concerned, owes Alan a debt which can never be repaid due to how much better your life will be from having been fortunate enough to read this work of mental art.The best that any one of us can do in repaying this insurmountable debt is to purchase multiple copies to share with someone you love....shoot...you dont even need to love the other person, but I can guarantee that they will love you by the time they finished this masterpiece of self development.Thank you Alan for simply being you and sprinkling your Nuggets of Motivational Pefection from the heavens above.JAL

Aconselho este livro a todos os treinadores, atletas e preparadores físicos. Livro muto bem escrito e com histórias reais o que torna o livro muito interessante.

Das Buch ist sehr angenehm geschrieben und die Kapitel bringen wesentliche Themen, die zu einer erfolgreichen Individiual- und insbesondere Teamleistung (sowohl Business als auch Sport) nötig sind, anschaulich rüber. Der Autor bringt dafür wirklich viele interessante Beispiele und Anekdoten zu seinen Erläuterungen (hauptsächlich) aus dem Basketball-Kontext. Für jeden der etwas mit (Team-)Sport anfangen kann, daher sehr erfrischend, mal nicht nur aus einem reinen Business-Kontext zu hören. Für alle anderen ggf. auch einen Blick wert.

Great read during this times of self quarentine, coach Alan Stein is not just one of the top bball trainers in the world, but also one of the greatest leaders

GREAT book. Every One should ready It.Full of inspiration!

I’m a PE teacher from England and first saw Alan in a YouTube video a few months ago, delivering a basketball clinic On athleticism. I Managed to pick up some great ideas from him! Through following his Facebook I was able to find out about his book, I was little hesitant to buy it at first as I’m pretty dyslexic And reading has never been enjoyable. However, from the moment it arrived I couldn’t put it down. I Was gripped! It was written for the reader to understand, not just to show off how much the author knows. It Made me laugh as there were parts that reflected my own teaching word for word, then it made me sit back in shocked realization that my down fulls, put backs and unsuccessful moments in teaching have all been down to my own behaviours. It gives you a clear ways to reflect and pin point areas for change that allow you to build, grow and move forward.Brilliant book and would highly recommend it to anyone.