ESPN the Company - by Anthony F Smith & Keith Hollihan (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A fascinating look at ESPN and its success as a brand

ESPN The Company reveals the inside scoop on the biggest business story in sports, detailing the creative and innovative spirit and practices that drove the programming, products, and services of the most powerful and prominent name in sports media. The authors provide a behind-the-scenes perspective on how ESPN dealt with their many partners and how they handled mistakes and missteps along the way-from the humble beginnings of ESPN as an underrated startup to the pinnacle of their success as a major industry player.

ESPN and other great organizations invest in their people. They train them. They believe that if you spend the time and resources turning talented performers into leaders, you're going to get better organizational performance and engender higher levels of commitment and sweat. ESPN The Company

• Explores the dedication to excellence that makes ESPN the "Worldwide Leader in Sports"
• Reveals how the steps ESPN has taken to excel can be applied to whatever type of business you're in
• Shares the lessons learned at ESPN about launching and growing a wildly successful enterprise

Engaging and informative, this entertaining guide reveals how any company can benefit by embracing the best practices of ESPN.

From the Back Cover

"Any sports fanatic can appreciate what ESPN has done for sports viewing. ESPN: The Company provides keen insights into the business plan, leadership, and passion that dramatically changed the scope of sports television."
--T. Boone Pickens, legendary entrepreneur and 2008 National Football Foundation Distinguished American Award winner

"The enormous success of ESPN did not happen by chance. The story and lessons of the powerful vision, decision-making, leadership, and corporate culture are all captured in Dr. Smith's very compelling book. Truly a must-read!"
--Mike Krzyzewski, "Coach K," head basketball coach, Duke University and Gold Medal Winning United States Olympic Team, 2008, author of several bestselling books, including The Gold Standard: Building a World-Class Team

"ESPN The Company is a winner! It's a wildly entertaining book that teaches the fundamentals of the game better than any business book on the market. If you want to know how to build a successful franchise and how to keep loyal fans coming back day after day, you have to read this book."
--Jim Kouzes, award-winning coauthor of the bestselling book, The Leadership Challenge, The Dean's Executive Professor of Leadership, Santa Clara University

"This book is for anyone who ever wondered how ESPN created, nurtured, battled, and branded what has become the worldwide leader in sports. Dr. Smith, a leading expert himself, shares the secrets of ESPN's success and presents the game plan for how, as he says, 'to think like an incumbent, act like a challenger.' "
--Lesley Visser, award-winning sportscaster and the first and only woman enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame

"When Michael Eisner presciently called ESPN 'the crown jewel of ABC, ' he may just as well have been referring to Dr. Anthony F. Smith. Amidst the multitudes of management consultants out there, Tony is one of the precious few able to cut through the clutter and platitudes to deliver smart, strategic, and practical advice about leadership and organizational performance."
--James M. Citrin, Senior Director, Spencer Stuart, author of several bestselling books, including The Dynamic Path

About the Author

Anthony F. Smith is cofounder and the Managing Director of Leadership Research Institute, recognized as one of the leading management consulting firms in the world. He has been an active consultant for over twenty years in the areas of organizational change and assessment, team building, executive coaching and development, and leadership training and design. Smith has served clients in a variety of fields, including American Express, the National Football League, Coca-Cola, Goldman Sachs, the National Geographic Society, The Walt Disney Company, Deutsche Bank, and ESPN. His writing has appeared in several publications, including BusinessWeek, the Economist, and Investor's Business Daily, and he is the author of the critically acclaimed book The Taboos of Leadership.

Keith Hollihan is a writer who has collaborated with Smith and many other top business and leadership experts on books and articles covering a wide range of issues that leaders face today. He is the coauthor of the bestseller Everybody Wins and The End of Energy Obesity, both published by Wiley.