In the fabulous Hulu series “The Bear,” one reappearing shot in the just-released second season is the cover of Mike Krzyzewski’s book “Leading with the Heart: Coach K’s Successful Strategies for Basketball, Business and Life.”
The book is gifted to one of the show’s main characters by her father. She is reading it as she follows her dream working as a chef in a new Chicago restaurant while wrestling life’s challenges as a business partner with a highly acclaimed culinary icon, Carmy, “The Bear.”
One of the endearing qualities of the show is its depiction of the teamwork required to run a kitchen, a small, crowded playing field featuring an array of cooking talent yelling “Yes, chef!” during every play call. I love the Krzyzewski references and applaud the writers.
But I couldn’t help but think it would have been much cooler if her dad gave her a book by an extraordinary female coach or female athlete. Pat Summitt’s autobiography, “Sum It Up,” came to mind.
But what would fit the storyline even better is the latest book by the co-author of Summitt’s memoir, her longtime friend Sally Jenkins. Jenkins’ “The Right Call: What Sports Teach Us About Work and Life” serves up a satisfying collection of sports nuggets that helped launch top performers to the pinnacle of their athletic journeys. And the lessons it serves would do quite well in the heat of the kitchen as well.
Jenkins explores the elements of sports principles that “give all of us, no matter our profession, the poised ability to think and choose more clearly.” Those elements are her chapter titles: conditioning, practice, discipline, candor, culture, failure and intention. Aspiring coaches, athletes, teachers and business executives would prepare well by gobbling up and practicing these proven winning decisions.
Jenkins is an acclaimed journalist for the Washington Post and…
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