The Soul of a Team: A Modern-Day Fable for Winning Teamwork

Great book for coaches and leaders. Very easy reading and Tony does a great job in explaining some great concepts for any team to use.

Perfect read for anyone who is part of a team or organization. Whether this reminds you of your importance in the life of others or leads you to living a new life you will be changed by this thoughtful story. And you are likely to get a bit choked up as you watch the Vipers grow together. I did.

Great Book to help build your team, the principles are simple yet profound in how they directly impact a teams performance and outcomes. This book is appropriate for all levels from beginning supervisors to the CEO. The best part is its enjoyable read.

Tony Dungy did not disappoint. Another great read!

This book should belong in every corporation, every business establishment, every church, every town hall, every city and state government office as well as in the White House, the House of Representatives, and the Senate. It talks about Unity in purpose and if everyone is on board with the right concepts and ideas, and not following selfish desires of other, it will provide you with the keys necessary for victory.

“What separates the truly great teams from the mediocre ones?” asks Tony Dungy in The Soul of a Team. His answer is “four simple yet highly effective principles — selflessness, ownership, unity, and larger purpose.” The principles form a memorable acronym: S.O.U.L.Here’s how Dungy defines the principles:• Selflessness: Putting individual needs aside for the good of the team.• Ownership: Fulfilling your role by learning it thoroughly and by consistently giving 100 percent.• Unity: Understanding and rallying around your team’s mission, philosophy, and culture through open communication and positive conflict resolution.• Larger Purpose: Contributing to the wider community in a lasting and significant way.Selflessness, ownership, and unity constitute the what of teamwork, but larger purpose constitutes the why. Teams often find that defining their larger purpose is a difficult task, but once they have done so, writes Dungy, that purpose “guides their decision-making, shapes their relationships, and influences their conduct,” as well as gives a team “a vibrancy and sense of worth it wouldn’t otherwise have.”To illustrate the S.O.U.L. principles, Dungy narrates the turnaround of a fictional football team, the Orlando Vipers, in desperate need of a winning season. The principles themselves are transferable to any endeavor that requires teamwork, however, including ministry. Throughout the book, Dungy’s leadership advice is rooted in his Christian faith.The Soul of Leadership is written in the vein of Patrick Lencioni’s “leadership fables.” If you like the format of Lencioni’s books — tell a story, then explain its meaning — you may like this one too.

I am not an avid football fan yet I find Tony's books and writing such an inspiration --a great tool for learning and growing, in spite of my ignorance of the game. God works in very mysterious ways. Looking forward to practicing the take a ways for SOUL of the Team for the kids at Covenant Children's Home here in FL

I love anything written by Tony and this book did not disappoint.

I read the book in 2 sittings on the basis that the story was told very well. Probably best for a football fan. However, the guidance can be applied in any setting.