The Carolina Way: Leadership Lessons From A Life in Coaching

Dr. Bell writes that the business leader has to distinguish between trivial and important details. "Do these details count and really make a difference?" The best CEOs have learned the value of serious, in-depth planning before beginning a project of any scope. The manager who spends time focusing on the size and color of paperclips to be used is not making a positive contribution to success. Bell tells about another manager who created a six-hundred-page sales bible detailing all the rules for his sales reps. Of course, it was unusable in the work environment. "A key question to ask is, Is this detail a substantive one that will help us succeed, or is it simply a matter of form?"

So, what will you get from this book? You will not get the Xs and Os of Coach Smith's offense and defense. You will get the philosophy and core values which underpin all he did as a coach. You will get a taste of the manner in which he organized the entire basketball program. More importantly, you will see the value he placed on the people he worked with, from office personnel to players to university personnel. He always understood that he was in a very public position, standing on the "front porch" of the University in representing it to the state. And, you will get a few basketball stories featuring some players every fan knows, and many only the most devout Carolina fan will remember.

You will also get the unique perspective of Dr. Gerald Bell who has taught at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School over thirty years. He founded Bell Leadership (www.bellleadership.com) "to help people develop their personal effectiveness and leadership skills to contribute to humankind." He applies the philosophy of Smith to the business world in clear, easily understood language and utilizes vivid examples (positive and negative) to illustrate his points.

This is not just another basketball book. It has substance, my personal biases aside.