" Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America''s Worst High School Hockey Team , is where Ted Lasso meets the Mighty Ducks ." -Dan Shaughnessy, Columnist, The Boston Globe "Plenty of adjectives describe Let Them Lead -- practical, readable, lively, compelling, thought-provoking. Whether the story of the hockey program or the leadership principles proves the greater draw, both will stay with readers after finishing the book. This is a volume worth returning to for insight and inspiration." -John Young, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Hey, Mighty Ducks. Meet the River Rats. It is not just a high-school hockey book, and it is not just a self-help book for aspiring bosses, teachers and coaches. Bacon works two timelines into one good story with ease.
He''s quick to point out he played 86 high school games without scoring a goal. He found a greater reward as a coach, and that''s the heart of a must-read book for those who want to learn more about that pursuit. Great read for youth coaches!" -Bill Bender, The Sporting News "Journalist Bacon delivers a heartfelt narrative about the leadership skills he learned when he returned to his alma mater to coach the lowest-ranked high school hockey team in Michigan. Interspersed are moving stories about the confidence, motivation, and humility the players gained. These valuable lessons will inspire readers regardless of whether they''ve ever picked up a hockey stick." -Publishers Weekly "You get hooked by the River Rats, and you just have to see how this thing turns out. In making it hard to be a part of the team, more kids wanted to join it. This feel-good tome resonates whether you''re a coach or a corporate type.
It''s an easy read, and you''ll take a lot from it." -John Johnson, Michigan High School Athletic Association "Just finished this excellent book, which weaves lessons for life and leadership throughout an entertaining, inspiring story. It transcends hockey and sports. Great for coaches, parents, players and leaders in all walks of life." -Nick Cotsonika, Columnist, NHL.com "Highly recommended. To call it a great sports book is to dramatically undersell it. There''s something in it for everyone.
Seriously, a must read. Do yourself a big favor: Put it on your reading list and order it now." -Keith Gave, author, The Russian Five , and director, The Russian Five documentary "How do you take the country''s worst hockey team and turn it into one of the best? John Bacon knows the answer, because he made it happen. This book is brimming with brilliant, concrete and actionable insights on leadership -- like the importance of less theory and more practice, what we get wrong about motivational speeches, and why you should be strict on a few rules and loose on the others. But the best part is that Bacon''s a born storyteller. Some of his stories will inspire you, others will tug at your heartstrings. Some will do both- like the tale of the third string, quiet goalie who led his team to a championship season. But all of these stories will keep you turning the pages.
This is the leadership book you''ve been looking for." -Susan Cain, author of the New York Times bestseller, Quiet "While the pandemic taught all of us what it''s like to be isolated, and the world polarizes around so many issues, our belief in the potential of younger folks to work hard and support each other has never been more important. John''s great stories show us why we need to work together to be successful. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and you will too." -Jim Hackett, Retired President and CEO, Ford Motor Company "''My way or the highway'' simply doesn''t work anymore, especially with younger, intellectually curious men and women. So what does? Bacon knows: start with high expectations, make them accountable to each other, and before you know it, they''re leading the team. That''s how everybody wins - and that''s how they learn life''s valuable lessons, too. John Bacon and his crew delivered and Let Them Lead will deliver for you, too.
" -D. Michael Abrashoff, author of the New York Times Bestseller It''s Your Ship "To lead your team through change, you need the best talent in the world. And the best people want to work for a company that stands for something. In one of the most inspiring turnaround stories I''ve ever read, John Bacon outlines thoughtful, relatable, and actionable insights that any leader can deploy with winning results." -Geoff Martha, Chairman & CEO, Medtronic "Once in a great while you run into a teacher who sends new lessons to you fast and furious -- lessons worth learning. John U. Bacon is one of those teachers. He took over a team that hadn''t won a single game the season before, and lost the four best players to graduation.
With the same players, angry parents, and doubtful administrators, John was able to turn this program around by drawing on the power hiding inside all the players on that team. Every leader who has thought ''Why can''t I find good people?'' will benefit from this book. He is a masterful storyteller, but this isn''t a sports story. This is a life story -- personal, dramatic, impactful - that will set you on a leadership journey that you will absolutely love. Buy it, read it, live it and change your world for the better." -Richard Sheridan, CEO Menlo Technology, author, Chief Joy Officer "John Bacon''s players are young, impressionable, and looking for direction. He takes them from nowhere to somewhere by allowing them to think for themselves, by giving them purpose, and instilling basic values like hard work and loyalty to each other. John listens, learns, thinks, then acts-- the sign of good management! He encourages team goals over individual goals and character over personal pride, these are the traits to success in a sport he loves, but also in business.
But the real hero is Coach Lapper. You''ll see." -Brad Park, Hall of Fame defenseman, New York and Boston "Trust. It''s all about Trust. John Bacon cuts right to the heart of what is great leadership. It''s not easy, but as Bacon illustrates, leading with trust is a beautiful thing. It can involve simple rules like Bacon''s ''Work hard and support your teammates,'' but you''ll have to resist the urge to pile on more. You''ll need to bet on your people, so you better get to know them, and trust that your ''grinders'' will become captains someday.
They make the best leaders. Trust your gut in picking your leaders based on their ability to lead , rather on their ability to do their current job. This book is dripping with lessons in leadership and I can''t wait to have our entire organization read it, study it, and develop the courage to lead with trust. Thanks for showing us how, Coach." -Bert Bean, CEO, InsightGlobal "Let Them Lead is the best leadership I have ever read, by far, because it''s so real! John Bacon''s story is inspirational, even to a coaching veteran like me. In today''s world, all teams and organizations need structure, boundaries, standards, and accountability! He demonstrates how you can get the best out of your people, but more importantly how they can get the best out of themselves! Truly inspiring. Got me all fired up to lead my team!" -Carol Hutchins, NCAA champion softball coach, University of Michigan "If you get half as much out of John U. Bacon''s beautiful new book as I did, by the time you''re done reading you''ll likely have a very long list of practical tools and techniques to adapt to your workplace.
From his concept of ''layers of leadership'' to letting the players coach an entire game to the unforgettable epilogue, Let Them Lead is loaded with hands-on techniques, out of the box approaches, elegantly simple yet exceptionally powerful tips and tools that will help any leader make a more positive difference in their work - all interspersed with the quick, insightful bits of wit that John is so exceptionally adept at. If we can do half as well implementing his ideas as he did, we will create the same kind of winning culture that will net us better bottom line results in the process. The story of how the River Rats went from worst to first is an inspiration to all of us! I can''t wait for the film!" -Ari Weinzweig - Zingerman''s Deli co-founder and co-owner. "John U. Bacon examines leadership in hockey, not through the familiar prism of Jean Béliveau or Mark Messier but through the worst high school hockey team in the country. He performs a service, not merely by coaching the River Rats to respectability but by offering hands-on lessons about effective leadership beyond the rink. Let Them Lead is a testament to shared values and shared expectations." -Michael Farber, senior.