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 that won three Super Bowls. In the process, he changed the way football is played—pushing it into the twenty-first century.

Walsh is famous for his strategic brilliance and innovations, such as the West Coast Offense, but his enlightened philosophy of leadership was just as crucial, if not more so, to the unprecedented success of his teams. And that philosophy of leadership is just as powerful and productive in business or any other endeavor as it was for him on the football field.

Prior to his death, Walsh granted exclusive interviews to bestselling author Steve Jamison. They became his ultimate lecture on leadership—illustrated by dramatic and apt anecdotes from throughout Walsh’s career. A small sample of what you’ll learn from one of America’s greatest coaches:

* Believe in People: Push them hard to be their very best. No one will ever come back later and thank you for expecting too little of them.

* Professionalism Matters: There was no showboating allowed after touchdowns, no taunting of opponents, no demonstration to attract attention to oneself: “Champions act like champions before they’re champions.”

* Keep a Short Enemies List: One enemy can do more damage than the good done by a hundred friends.

* Protect Your Blind Side: Prompt yourself to aggressively analyze not only your organization’s strengths, but also its unseen vulnerabilities.

* Sometimes You Can’t Have he Last Word. A leader cannot escape harsh criticism. Ignore the undeserving; learn from the deserving. Lick your wounds and move on. Your bruised ego will get over it.

William Ernest "Bill" Walsh (November 30, 1931 – July 30, 2007) was an American head football coach of the San Francisco 49ers and Stanford University, during which time he popularized the West Coast offense. Walsh went 102–63–1 with the 49ers, winning ten of his fourteen postseason games along with six division titles, three NFC Championship titles, and three Super Bowls. He was named the NFL's Coach of the Year in 1981 and 1984.