Nancy Lieberman 
Playbook for Success 
A Hall of Famer’s Business Tactics for Teamwork and Leadership

A top coach teaches the sports-related skills and basics every
women needs to succeed

There are basics that every woman must have if she is to succeed
in the corporate world, start and run her own business, or coach
her own winning team. In Playbook for Success, Hall of Fame
Business Entrepreneur Nancy Lieberman brings her leadership and
coaching ability to the boardroom to teach professional women the
same rules of success she teaches her players.

Playbook for Success is a plan to help make success a
part of one’s daily routine and teach women that success is not
just a title or corner office, but an attitude, belief, and way of
life.

* Teaches the top sports-related skills women need to thrive in
the corporate world, featuring a provocative examination of women
and teamwork

* Includes profiles of women succeeding in business, ways to
recognize your own strengths and weaknesses, and exercises that can
be used in the business world

* Foreword by Basketball Hall of Famer and business legend Earvin
‘Magic’ Johnson

Playbook for Success gives you a unique and inspirational
road map to compete and win in your life and career.

Table of Content

Foreword Earvin ‘magic” Johnson xiii

Acknowledgments xv

Chapter 1 Why Sports and Business for Women? 1

Be Flexible: Don’t Play the Play, Play the Game 12

Succeed Together! 16

Accept All Challenges 17

Title IX Creates Equality 18

Chapter 2 The Playbook 23

Successful Strategies for Your Team 27

The Learning Plan 30

Establish Your Leadership Style 32

Don’t Be Late. Really. 35

Loyalty Matters 37

Chapter 3 Find Your Love and Passion 43

Toughen Up–Mentally 46

Michael Jackson’s Message: Man in the Mirror 48

Rucker Park: The Little White Girl Plays with the Best 50

Muhammad Ali’s Gift of Hope 51

The Power of a Woman’s Natural Traits: Empathy and Intuition 54

Mentoring and Creating Opportunities for Others 55

Negotiating 101: Why Should I Have You on My Team? 56

Ladies, Dry Your Tears! 60

Chapter 4 Never Fear Success 63

Talk to Me 66

Utilize Criticism to Get Tougher and Better 68

Learn about Overcoming Fear from the Great Lou Holtz 71

Chapter 5 Think Like a Champion 75

Be Determined 79

You Are Who You Think You Are 84

My First Meeting with the Champ 87

Selective Hearing Not Allowed 90

Be Someone’s Hero 91

Chapter 6 It’s All about Teamwork 95

A Promise to the Team 102

Teamwork Defined 103

Building a Team 104

Chapter 7 Do Your Homework 111

Google It! 119

Scouting Report 121

See the Future 122

Larry Fitzgerald Provides a Lesson on Observing 123

Chapter 8 Stay in Shape 127

Make a Commitment and Get Started 131

Minimize Stress 133

A Few Words for Women Only 134

Chapter 9 Sports Talk 139

Use the Morning Headlines 141

Use Tickets as a Tool 142

Strike Up the Conversation 143

Learn to Tell a Story 146

Chapter 10 Game Time! 151

Are You Prepared? 156

Do What It Takes 157

Believe in Yourself 159

Set Minigoals 161

”B” Nice 163

Take a Sound Bite Lesson 164

Observe People 165

Game Time Rituals 166

Risk/Reward 167

It’s Okay to Be Great 168

Decision Makers 169

Is It in You? 171

Sports Talk–glossary 173

Index 177

About the author

NANCY LIEBERMAN is a basketball hall of famer, two-time Olympian, Head Coach of the Dallas Mavericks NBA Development team the Texas Legends, former WNBA player, head coach, and general manager, broadcaster, analyst, writer, and motivational speaker. Nancy provides commentary for ABC, ESPN, and NBA-TV and has been a contributing writer for the New York Times and USA Today. She is also a motivational speaker, appearing before Fortune 500 companies such as Merrill Lynch, JPMorgan, Met Life, Home Depot, The Hartford, Fed Ex, Amway, AT&T, Bank of America, Prudential, Express, Nike, and many more.