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The 7 Commitments of a Great Team
Powerful fable to inspire better business leadership through tried-and-true lessons from athletics
In this new Jon Gordon fable The 7 Commitments of Great Teams, Tim is struggling to lead his team at projects are falling flat, morale is low, and his leadership ability is in question from higher-ups. In a moment of heartbreak, he talks to his old college coach, who is on his deathbed, and is reminded of a simple yet perspective-shifting adage from the "teammates are forever." Flashing back to his college team where they frequently accomplished the impossible against all odds, Tim thinks about his situation at work and realizes that the same concepts that led to success back then can be applied in the present.
Drawing on Jon Gordon's wealth of experience as a seventeen-time bestselling author, top ten keynote speaker and consultant, and global influencer reaching millions each year, this book shows listeners how to
● An air of positivity, even when going through challenges and setbacks
● Consistent commitment to the culture and the mission
● Motivation to connect to and sacrifice for each other
● Drive to give 100% and always be improving
In this new Jon Gordon fable The 7 Commitments of Great Teams, Tim is struggling to lead his team at projects are falling flat, morale is low, and his leadership ability is in question from higher-ups. In a moment of heartbreak, he talks to his old college coach, who is on his deathbed, and is reminded of a simple yet perspective-shifting adage from the "teammates are forever." Flashing back to his college team where they frequently accomplished the impossible against all odds, Tim thinks about his situation at work and realizes that the same concepts that led to success back then can be applied in the present.
Drawing on Jon Gordon's wealth of experience as a seventeen-time bestselling author, top ten keynote speaker and consultant, and global influencer reaching millions each year, this book shows listeners how to
● An air of positivity, even when going through challenges and setbacks
● Consistent commitment to the culture and the mission
● Motivation to connect to and sacrifice for each other
● Drive to give 100% and always be improving
- GenresEducation
144 pages, Hardcover
Published May 20, 2025
94 people are currently reading
210 people want to read
About the author
Jon Gordon
156 books696 followersJon Gordon is an American business consultant and author on the topics of leadership, culture, sales, and teamwork.
Jon Gordon's best-selling books and talks have inspired readers and audiences around the world. His principles have been put to the test by numerous NFL, NBA, and college coaches and teams, Fortune 500 companies, school districts, hospitals and non-profits. He is the author of The Wall Street Journal bestseller The Energy Bus, The No Complaining Rule, Training Camp, The Shark and The Goldfish, Soup, The Seed and his latest The Positive Dog. Jon and his tips have been featured on The Today Show, CNN, Fox and Friends and in numerous magazines and newspapers. His clients include The Atlanta Falcons, Campbell Soup, Wells Fargo, State Farm, Novartis, Bayer and more.
Jon is a graduate of Cornell University and holds a Masters in Teaching from Emory University. He and his training/consulting company are passionate about developing positive leaders, organizations and teams.
When he's not running through airports or speaking, you can find him playing tennis or lacrosse with his wife and two "high energy" children.
You can find him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jongordonpage
Jon Gordon's best-selling books and talks have inspired readers and audiences around the world. His principles have been put to the test by numerous NFL, NBA, and college coaches and teams, Fortune 500 companies, school districts, hospitals and non-profits. He is the author of The Wall Street Journal bestseller The Energy Bus, The No Complaining Rule, Training Camp, The Shark and The Goldfish, Soup, The Seed and his latest The Positive Dog. Jon and his tips have been featured on The Today Show, CNN, Fox and Friends and in numerous magazines and newspapers. His clients include The Atlanta Falcons, Campbell Soup, Wells Fargo, State Farm, Novartis, Bayer and more.
Jon is a graduate of Cornell University and holds a Masters in Teaching from Emory University. He and his training/consulting company are passionate about developing positive leaders, organizations and teams.
When he's not running through airports or speaking, you can find him playing tennis or lacrosse with his wife and two "high energy" children.
You can find him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jongordonpage
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 25, 2025
Pretty good book on team building. Short. Read it for work.
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July 13, 2025In "The 7 Commitments of a Great Team", Jon Gordon crafts a compelling narrative about how good teams can become great through intentional choices, shared values, and consistent action. His message is practical and human-centered, presented through the story of Elena, a project manager who turns around a faltering marketing team by embracing these commitments. Through her experience, the book demonstrates how real transformation comes not from motivational slogans or superficial exercises, but from deep cultural shifts built around connection, effort, trust, and vision.
Elena's journey begins at a low point: her team is fractured, their work underwhelming, and collaboration almost nonexistent. But everything changes during a weather delay at an airport, where she watches a ground crew work together under pressure with remarkable coordination. This chance observation sparks a realization—her team lacked a unifying purpose, a shared understanding of what success looked like and why it mattered. While her team was full of talented individuals, they functioned like disconnected parts rather than a cohesive unit. The ground crew, in contrast, operated with clarity, precision, and mutual dependence. This set Elena on a course to bring similar purpose and harmony to her own team.
The 7 Commitments from the book by Jon Gordon are:
1. Commit to the Vision and Mission of the Team: Stay focused on a shared purpose and drive toward it together.
2. Commit to Staying Positive Together: Maintain optimism and encouragement, especially during tough times.
3. Commit to Giving Your Best: Consistently bring your full effort and energy to the team.
4. Commit to Getting Better: Embrace growth, learning, and continuous improvement.
5. Commit to Connecting: Build strong, trusting relationships within the team.
6. Commit to Each Other: Support your teammates and prioritize the team over individual ego.
7. Commit to Legacy (Be Forever Teammates): Work in a way that leaves a lasting, positive impact beyond today.
The first and most foundational commitment she discovers is to 'vision'. Most teams have goals, but goals are short-term targets. Vision is deeper—it provides the “why” behind the work, something people can rally around and use to guide decisions. Elena helps her team craft a shared purpose that reframes their work from simply producing ads to helping customers find meaningful solutions. Once this vision takes hold, team members begin aligning their work toward a common impact. Designers stop competing for aesthetic dominance and start enhancing the copywriter’s message. Data analysts contribute to strategic choices rather than proving their individual expertise. Everyone begins to see how their unique role serves the larger mission, and this clarity transforms both the team's cohesion and performance.
With vision as the compass, the second commitment is to 'positivity paired with best effort'. Facing a client crisis that would’ve unraveled them in the past, Elena's team instead chooses to see the challenge as a test of their growth. But the book emphasizes that positivity without action is empty. It’s the combination of optimism and hustle that fuels high-performing teams. Elena introduces a practice where every complaint or problem must be followed by a proposed solution. This habit shifts their energy from blame to action, from helplessness to creativity. It also teaches the team to reframe setbacks as training grounds for resilience. Tight deadlines become chances to streamline. Budget cuts become exercises in ingenuity. Positivity is no longer a passive mood, but a deliberate choice that unlocks problem-solving energy.
Still, progress eventually stalls. Campaign results level out and team morale, though stable, lacks passion. That’s when Elena realizes the third commitment is 'growth'. Good teams maintain performance, but great ones aim to improve continuously. Growth isn’t just about acquiring new skills; it’s about learning from every experience—especially failure. The team institutes peer-led learning sessions, shares what went wrong in recent projects, and treats errors as tuition for progress. Instead of avoiding mistakes, they start asking what each challenge can teach them. This mindset opens the door to more daring ideas and braver contributions, especially from quieter team members. By shifting the cultural question from “How do we prevent failure?” to “How do we learn faster?”, Elena ignites an engine of development that propels the team forward.
Even with purpose, effort, and growth, teams can falter without connection. The fourth commitment is to 'genuine relationships rooted in mutual commitment'. When a key designer falls seriously ill, Elena watches her team rise to the occasion—not with panic or self-preservation, but with empathy and shared responsibility. They divide her workload, support each other, and prioritize her well-being. This is no longer a group of coworkers; it is a community. They establish regular check-ins, asking not just for work updates, but about emotions, stress, and life outside the office. This kind of vulnerability and support doesn’t happen by accident. It is built through intentional practices that foster trust and safety. When people feel seen and supported, they take creative risks, speak honestly, and invest more in shared success.
As these bonds strengthen, the team adopts the fifth commitment: 'valuing one another'. In high-performing teams, recognition is not reserved for managers to hand down—it's embedded in the team culture. At the height of their success, Elena watches as her team instinctively lifts each other up during presentations. Credit is passed around freely and specifically. Each person’s strengths are acknowledged, not in vague praise, but in concrete terms tied to real contributions. This commitment turns competition into collaboration. It erases the need to hoard recognition or jockey for spotlight. When everyone is valued, they naturally bring out the best in each other. The book urges leaders to model this behavior by noticing and appreciating the often-overlooked contributions—those who raise tough questions, smooth out tensions, or hold the team steady during challenges. Valuing others means creating a culture where everyone’s effort is seen, and everyone’s voice is heard.
These five commitments—vision, positivity and effort, growth, connection, and value—lay the groundwork for the remaining two, which act as multipliers. One is 'ownership'. Elena’s team learns to take full responsibility for outcomes, regardless of their direct role. When things go wrong, they don’t pass the blame—they look for what they can control or do better. Ownership makes every team member a leader in their own right. It empowers initiative and accountability, replacing excuses with solutions.
The final commitment is 'communication'. Not just surface-level updates or status checks, but honest, clear, and frequent dialogue. Elena’s team develops routines for giving feedback, expressing concerns early, and voicing support. Communication becomes the bridge that links all the other commitments. Vision is clarified through it, connection is strengthened by it, and growth depends on it. Misunderstandings that once caused rifts are replaced with conversations that lead to clarity and alignment.
In the end, Elena’s team is transformed. Not because of any single policy change or motivational poster, but because of their sustained commitment to each other and to the principles that turn individuals into collaborators. The result is more than better performance; it’s a deeper sense of meaning, purpose, and trust.
What makes “The 7 Commitments of a Great Team” powerful is its actionable realism. These aren't abstract ideals—they are habits and mindsets that any leader can cultivate. The book doesn’t promise instant success, but it offers a clear blueprint for durable change. Great teams aren’t a product of luck or natural chemistry. They are built—intentionally, consistently, and collectively. The commitments in this book show how.
Elena's journey begins at a low point: her team is fractured, their work underwhelming, and collaboration almost nonexistent. But everything changes during a weather delay at an airport, where she watches a ground crew work together under pressure with remarkable coordination. This chance observation sparks a realization—her team lacked a unifying purpose, a shared understanding of what success looked like and why it mattered. While her team was full of talented individuals, they functioned like disconnected parts rather than a cohesive unit. The ground crew, in contrast, operated with clarity, precision, and mutual dependence. This set Elena on a course to bring similar purpose and harmony to her own team.
The 7 Commitments from the book by Jon Gordon are:
1. Commit to the Vision and Mission of the Team: Stay focused on a shared purpose and drive toward it together.
2. Commit to Staying Positive Together: Maintain optimism and encouragement, especially during tough times.
3. Commit to Giving Your Best: Consistently bring your full effort and energy to the team.
4. Commit to Getting Better: Embrace growth, learning, and continuous improvement.
5. Commit to Connecting: Build strong, trusting relationships within the team.
6. Commit to Each Other: Support your teammates and prioritize the team over individual ego.
7. Commit to Legacy (Be Forever Teammates): Work in a way that leaves a lasting, positive impact beyond today.
The first and most foundational commitment she discovers is to 'vision'. Most teams have goals, but goals are short-term targets. Vision is deeper—it provides the “why” behind the work, something people can rally around and use to guide decisions. Elena helps her team craft a shared purpose that reframes their work from simply producing ads to helping customers find meaningful solutions. Once this vision takes hold, team members begin aligning their work toward a common impact. Designers stop competing for aesthetic dominance and start enhancing the copywriter’s message. Data analysts contribute to strategic choices rather than proving their individual expertise. Everyone begins to see how their unique role serves the larger mission, and this clarity transforms both the team's cohesion and performance.
With vision as the compass, the second commitment is to 'positivity paired with best effort'. Facing a client crisis that would’ve unraveled them in the past, Elena's team instead chooses to see the challenge as a test of their growth. But the book emphasizes that positivity without action is empty. It’s the combination of optimism and hustle that fuels high-performing teams. Elena introduces a practice where every complaint or problem must be followed by a proposed solution. This habit shifts their energy from blame to action, from helplessness to creativity. It also teaches the team to reframe setbacks as training grounds for resilience. Tight deadlines become chances to streamline. Budget cuts become exercises in ingenuity. Positivity is no longer a passive mood, but a deliberate choice that unlocks problem-solving energy.
Still, progress eventually stalls. Campaign results level out and team morale, though stable, lacks passion. That’s when Elena realizes the third commitment is 'growth'. Good teams maintain performance, but great ones aim to improve continuously. Growth isn’t just about acquiring new skills; it’s about learning from every experience—especially failure. The team institutes peer-led learning sessions, shares what went wrong in recent projects, and treats errors as tuition for progress. Instead of avoiding mistakes, they start asking what each challenge can teach them. This mindset opens the door to more daring ideas and braver contributions, especially from quieter team members. By shifting the cultural question from “How do we prevent failure?” to “How do we learn faster?”, Elena ignites an engine of development that propels the team forward.
Even with purpose, effort, and growth, teams can falter without connection. The fourth commitment is to 'genuine relationships rooted in mutual commitment'. When a key designer falls seriously ill, Elena watches her team rise to the occasion—not with panic or self-preservation, but with empathy and shared responsibility. They divide her workload, support each other, and prioritize her well-being. This is no longer a group of coworkers; it is a community. They establish regular check-ins, asking not just for work updates, but about emotions, stress, and life outside the office. This kind of vulnerability and support doesn’t happen by accident. It is built through intentional practices that foster trust and safety. When people feel seen and supported, they take creative risks, speak honestly, and invest more in shared success.
As these bonds strengthen, the team adopts the fifth commitment: 'valuing one another'. In high-performing teams, recognition is not reserved for managers to hand down—it's embedded in the team culture. At the height of their success, Elena watches as her team instinctively lifts each other up during presentations. Credit is passed around freely and specifically. Each person’s strengths are acknowledged, not in vague praise, but in concrete terms tied to real contributions. This commitment turns competition into collaboration. It erases the need to hoard recognition or jockey for spotlight. When everyone is valued, they naturally bring out the best in each other. The book urges leaders to model this behavior by noticing and appreciating the often-overlooked contributions—those who raise tough questions, smooth out tensions, or hold the team steady during challenges. Valuing others means creating a culture where everyone’s effort is seen, and everyone’s voice is heard.
These five commitments—vision, positivity and effort, growth, connection, and value—lay the groundwork for the remaining two, which act as multipliers. One is 'ownership'. Elena’s team learns to take full responsibility for outcomes, regardless of their direct role. When things go wrong, they don’t pass the blame—they look for what they can control or do better. Ownership makes every team member a leader in their own right. It empowers initiative and accountability, replacing excuses with solutions.
The final commitment is 'communication'. Not just surface-level updates or status checks, but honest, clear, and frequent dialogue. Elena’s team develops routines for giving feedback, expressing concerns early, and voicing support. Communication becomes the bridge that links all the other commitments. Vision is clarified through it, connection is strengthened by it, and growth depends on it. Misunderstandings that once caused rifts are replaced with conversations that lead to clarity and alignment.
In the end, Elena’s team is transformed. Not because of any single policy change or motivational poster, but because of their sustained commitment to each other and to the principles that turn individuals into collaborators. The result is more than better performance; it’s a deeper sense of meaning, purpose, and trust.
What makes “The 7 Commitments of a Great Team” powerful is its actionable realism. These aren't abstract ideals—they are habits and mindsets that any leader can cultivate. The book doesn’t promise instant success, but it offers a clear blueprint for durable change. Great teams aren’t a product of luck or natural chemistry. They are built—intentionally, consistently, and collectively. The commitments in this book show how.
September 22, 2025
I enjoyed The 7 Commitments of a Great Team as I do all of Jon Gordon's books.
Gordon uses his own experiences with being coached and applies it to all aspects of life. In this book, readers are able to understand what makes a strong team, and how to rebuild them when they are failing. Here is my summary:
Commitments are greater than goals. Goal excitement easily wears off when you are confronted with adversity, inconveniences, and distractions. When you shared your commitments, you were more intentional, serious, and focused. Your commitments create a standard. “Every great team needs a combination of love and accountability. Tough love is essential, but love must come first.”
“Trophies don’t last.” “They break. They get lost. They get thrown out. They lose their significance. In a few hundred years no one will care about whether you won a championship trophy. But the way you cared about each other and loved each other and played for each other, that’s what lasts forever. It’s the love that lasts forever, and that’s why you all are forever teammates!”
LOSS stands for Learning Opportunity, Stay Strong.
Commit to the Vision and Mission of the Team - Create a team with oneness in mission and vision. A team that is divided is weak. A team that becomes one is powerful and strong.
Commit to Staying Positive Together - Your positivity, optimism, and belief matters and every day you must feed yourself in order to feed your teammates.
Commit to Giving Your Best - As a coach, there are times your team needs to be pulled up and times they need a push. To work harder, you have to care more. If you care more, you will push through the soreness. If you care more, you will give your all even when you feel like you don’t have your all. If you care more, you won’t just go through the motions. If you care more, you will always give your best.
Commit to Getting Better - Ask: What went well? What could we do better? What did we learn that will make us better?
Commit to Connect - Team beats talent! You need to be a gritty team together. You may have individual grit but don’t have team grit if you are not one team. Team grit is all about connection.
The Safe Seat Exercise:
Place a chair in the front of the room facing the rest of the team and call it the Safe Seat. Each must sit in the Safe Seat one at a time and share their 5 Hs.
1. Who’s your Hero?
2. What’s a Hardship you faced that was a defining
moment in your life?
3. What’s a Highlight you are proud of ?
4. What do you Hope for?
5. What’s Hilarious? What makes you laugh? Could be a
story or anything funny.
Commit to Each Other - Be the best teammate you can be.
Exercise 1: Hand out a plain white paper with each person’s name at the top on one side and sticky tape on the other side. Instruct the players to stick the paper on each other’s backs so everyone had a sheet of paper on their back. Have them all come to the open space in the
in front of the room and ask seven teammates to stand side by side while handing out markers to the rest of them. “Now, on the white paper on your teammates’ backs, write a few words that represent what you believe is holding that teammate back from being their best and being a great teammate. After we’ve done the first seven, the next seven will line up and you’ll write on their backs. When we’re all done, we’re going to have some difficult conversations.” Then have one person at a time come to the front of the room and take the paper off their back, sit in the Safe Seat, and read out loud what was written on the paper.
Exercise 2 - I am: “You are not the thoughts you think. You are the thoughts you believe.” So think about what would happen if you said, “I am strong. I am powerful. I am a champion.” “I want each of you to come into the circle one at a time and say, ‘I am’ and then add another
word. Speak life into who you are. Say it and become it!”
Commit to Valuing Each Other -
Gordon uses his own experiences with being coached and applies it to all aspects of life. In this book, readers are able to understand what makes a strong team, and how to rebuild them when they are failing. Here is my summary:
Commitments are greater than goals. Goal excitement easily wears off when you are confronted with adversity, inconveniences, and distractions. When you shared your commitments, you were more intentional, serious, and focused. Your commitments create a standard. “Every great team needs a combination of love and accountability. Tough love is essential, but love must come first.”
“Trophies don’t last.” “They break. They get lost. They get thrown out. They lose their significance. In a few hundred years no one will care about whether you won a championship trophy. But the way you cared about each other and loved each other and played for each other, that’s what lasts forever. It’s the love that lasts forever, and that’s why you all are forever teammates!”
LOSS stands for Learning Opportunity, Stay Strong.
Commit to the Vision and Mission of the Team - Create a team with oneness in mission and vision. A team that is divided is weak. A team that becomes one is powerful and strong.
Commit to Staying Positive Together - Your positivity, optimism, and belief matters and every day you must feed yourself in order to feed your teammates.
Commit to Giving Your Best - As a coach, there are times your team needs to be pulled up and times they need a push. To work harder, you have to care more. If you care more, you will push through the soreness. If you care more, you will give your all even when you feel like you don’t have your all. If you care more, you won’t just go through the motions. If you care more, you will always give your best.
Commit to Getting Better - Ask: What went well? What could we do better? What did we learn that will make us better?
Commit to Connect - Team beats talent! You need to be a gritty team together. You may have individual grit but don’t have team grit if you are not one team. Team grit is all about connection.
The Safe Seat Exercise:
Place a chair in the front of the room facing the rest of the team and call it the Safe Seat. Each must sit in the Safe Seat one at a time and share their 5 Hs.
1. Who’s your Hero?
2. What’s a Hardship you faced that was a defining
moment in your life?
3. What’s a Highlight you are proud of ?
4. What do you Hope for?
5. What’s Hilarious? What makes you laugh? Could be a
story or anything funny.
Commit to Each Other - Be the best teammate you can be.
Exercise 1: Hand out a plain white paper with each person’s name at the top on one side and sticky tape on the other side. Instruct the players to stick the paper on each other’s backs so everyone had a sheet of paper on their back. Have them all come to the open space in the
in front of the room and ask seven teammates to stand side by side while handing out markers to the rest of them. “Now, on the white paper on your teammates’ backs, write a few words that represent what you believe is holding that teammate back from being their best and being a great teammate. After we’ve done the first seven, the next seven will line up and you’ll write on their backs. When we’re all done, we’re going to have some difficult conversations.” Then have one person at a time come to the front of the room and take the paper off their back, sit in the Safe Seat, and read out loud what was written on the paper.
Exercise 2 - I am: “You are not the thoughts you think. You are the thoughts you believe.” So think about what would happen if you said, “I am strong. I am powerful. I am a champion.” “I want each of you to come into the circle one at a time and say, ‘I am’ and then add another
word. Speak life into who you are. Say it and become it!”
Commit to Valuing Each Other -
February 4, 2026
A solid leadership refresher with enduring principles
The 7 Commitments of a Great Team is a clear, accessible leadership book that offers strong reminders of what actually sustains effective teams over time. The emphasis on valuing people, committing to the organization’s mission & vision, and continually growing individual competence is particularly well done and consistently relevant across leadership contexts.
The book reinforces that leadership is not just positional, but relational. Buy-in from subordinates is earned through trust, clarity of purpose, and demonstrated competence. These themes align well with real-world leadership challenges and serve as useful checkpoints for anyone responsible for developing others.
That said, many of the team exercises and activities seem most applicable to adolescents or early-career teams. In more senior leadership roles or working with a veteran cohort, the exercises themselves may feel less directly usable. However, the underlying principles remain valuable, even if the application requires adaptation to more mature or complex organizations.
Overall, this is a good book with practical insights and timely reminders. It succeeds as a leadership refresher and framework for reflecting on how you lead people and build commitment within a team. Worth reading, especially for leaders who value fundamentals done well.
The 7 Commitments of a Great Team is a clear, accessible leadership book that offers strong reminders of what actually sustains effective teams over time. The emphasis on valuing people, committing to the organization’s mission & vision, and continually growing individual competence is particularly well done and consistently relevant across leadership contexts.
The book reinforces that leadership is not just positional, but relational. Buy-in from subordinates is earned through trust, clarity of purpose, and demonstrated competence. These themes align well with real-world leadership challenges and serve as useful checkpoints for anyone responsible for developing others.
That said, many of the team exercises and activities seem most applicable to adolescents or early-career teams. In more senior leadership roles or working with a veteran cohort, the exercises themselves may feel less directly usable. However, the underlying principles remain valuable, even if the application requires adaptation to more mature or complex organizations.
Overall, this is a good book with practical insights and timely reminders. It succeeds as a leadership refresher and framework for reflecting on how you lead people and build commitment within a team. Worth reading, especially for leaders who value fundamentals done well.
June 11, 2025
The 7 Commitments of a Great Team
by Jon Gordon
5 out of 5 stars (rounded up from 4.5)
This leadership book, presented in the form of a fable, is another great hit by Jon Gordon. When Tim is unhappy with his team's performance at work, he reflects back on his college sports team to remember some of the lessons he learned from his coach.
I have been a fan of Jon Gordon's since reading The Energy Bus as a younger leader. Many of Jon Gordon's points are repeated throughout his books, but they always come from a different perspective. In this book, a first-time reader will understand the concepts, but a long-time reader will understand the references made. I like that a reader can jump in at any level.
The 7 Commitments of a Great Team is a quick read that is PACKED full of activities that a team can do together. These ideas would work for employees, sports teams, or in the classroom, which is where I plan to use the ideas in order to continue to build a positive culture.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a way to encourage your team and to remind yourself of your importance as a positive leader.
by Jon Gordon
5 out of 5 stars (rounded up from 4.5)
This leadership book, presented in the form of a fable, is another great hit by Jon Gordon. When Tim is unhappy with his team's performance at work, he reflects back on his college sports team to remember some of the lessons he learned from his coach.
I have been a fan of Jon Gordon's since reading The Energy Bus as a younger leader. Many of Jon Gordon's points are repeated throughout his books, but they always come from a different perspective. In this book, a first-time reader will understand the concepts, but a long-time reader will understand the references made. I like that a reader can jump in at any level.
The 7 Commitments of a Great Team is a quick read that is PACKED full of activities that a team can do together. These ideas would work for employees, sports teams, or in the classroom, which is where I plan to use the ideas in order to continue to build a positive culture.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a way to encourage your team and to remind yourself of your importance as a positive leader.
June 6, 2025
This was a recommended read for work, and there's definitely insights that can be drawn from it that can apply to helping build and strengthen teams (albeit more surface level than other books I've read on the same topics).
That said, the story itself read like a children's sports novel that, while merely being a vehicle for the 7 Commitments, lessened the actual impact and takeaway value.
Also, adding past books as a self-referrential plot points and pushing the "flying out for a full-day workshop" in the narrative comes across as extremely salesman-y.
I definitely can appreciate the drive to further one's business, but theres a way to do it that comes across as more genuine in my opinion.
That said, the story itself read like a children's sports novel that, while merely being a vehicle for the 7 Commitments, lessened the actual impact and takeaway value.
Also, adding past books as a self-referrential plot points and pushing the "flying out for a full-day workshop" in the narrative comes across as extremely salesman-y.
I definitely can appreciate the drive to further one's business, but theres a way to do it that comes across as more genuine in my opinion.
August 14, 2025
This fast-paced, high-impact read is a leadership gem for anyone building a team—on the field, in the office, or in life. Whether you’re coaching athletes or leading a work crew, the book deliver seven clear commitments that elevate team culture from average to unforgettable.
Key Takeaways:
“Legacy isn’t what you leave behind—it’s what you build into others.”
This question that lingered with me even after the last chapter: What legacy are you leaving as a leader? The book challenges you to lead with intention, humility, and heart.
Perfect for:
• Coaches, managers, and mentors
• Team builders craving clarity and purpose
• Anyone who believes leadership is more than a title—it’s a calling
Key Takeaways:
“Legacy isn’t what you leave behind—it’s what you build into others.”
This question that lingered with me even after the last chapter: What legacy are you leaving as a leader? The book challenges you to lead with intention, humility, and heart.
Perfect for:
• Coaches, managers, and mentors
• Team builders craving clarity and purpose
• Anyone who believes leadership is more than a title—it’s a calling
May 21, 2025
Another awesome fable that uses the game of Lacrosse without ever mentioning "Lacrosse". This quick read is a very insightful text that provides the reader several team building exercises that can be used to grow and strengthen a teams environment. Jon weaves information from a number of his previous books into this text. Jon's story telling always presents a strong message. In this case it's seven messages with tools that assist in team development, be it a sports team or any other setting where teams are involved.
May 22, 2025
This is one of my favorite Jon Gordon books recently! I get very connected to his characters and the way he creates his fables to exercise his points clearly and effectively. Most every story ends in a pretty happy go lucky way on purpose which I love because there's always that message of hope, and this one feels very real since it is based so much in his lived experience. Highly recommend this one!
October 9, 2025
Big fan of Jon Gordon’s books and the emphasis on positivity and being a great team. I personally don’t enjoy fictional sports stories but thought the 7 commitments were valuable.
1. Commit to valuing each other
2. Commit to the vision and mission of the team
3. Commit to staying positive together
4. Commit to giving your best effort
5. Commit to getting better
6. Commit to connect
7. Commit to each other
1. Commit to valuing each other
2. Commit to the vision and mission of the team
3. Commit to staying positive together
4. Commit to giving your best effort
5. Commit to getting better
6. Commit to connect
7. Commit to each other
November 1, 2025
I think this was a useful book. It does seem very sports-oriented, but then again it's a fable. (I do like fables). In particular I will use the 5Hs for my organization.
#1 - Commit to the Vision & the Mission of the Team
#2 - Commit to Staying Positive Together
#3 - Commit to Giving Your Best
#4 - Commit to Getting Better
#5 - Commit to Connect
#6 - Commit to Each Other
#7 - Commit to Valuing Each Other
#1 - Commit to the Vision & the Mission of the Team
#2 - Commit to Staying Positive Together
#3 - Commit to Giving Your Best
#4 - Commit to Getting Better
#5 - Commit to Connect
#6 - Commit to Each Other
#7 - Commit to Valuing Each Other
June 3, 2025
Sorry for this review. It's this low because after reading all the early books of Jon Gordon, this one is a complete recycle. He mentioned it in the beginning of the book. This is the past 50 years from his life and perspective. If you are a Gordon fan and read all his early books that serve as individual nuggets, then pass on this book.
May 11, 2025
Jon is a great storyteller. He shares some great insights and provides practical insights on how to become a great leader and a great teammate. If you’re looking to grow as a coach, a leader, a teammate, or a person, this book is worth the read.
June 3, 2025
I plan on implementing the 7 Commitments into my basketball program. I love how Jon described different team bonding exercises that “Coach Amy” had their team go through. I plan to use those exercises during our offseason program.
June 18, 2025
It was fine, some parts were somewhat touching, some made me roll my eyes. Simple writing. Didn’t hate it, didn’t love it but decent ideas.
I don’t like how he references his other books throughout the whole book.
I don’t like how he references his other books throughout the whole book.
July 9, 2025
I finished this in a day. I don’t know that I appreciated the “fable” but I did enjoy the message of the book. It has good ideas for strengthening a team, but I need to think more about how I could use it with my much larger team of adults.
January 18, 2026
Good concepts. Valuable information. I’d need to read more to make it transferable from a “sports team” to a sales team that recognizes team performance but also recognizes individual performance in the day to day.
June 25, 2025
Jon Gordon has a way of storytelling that teaches valuable lessons for the working world, as well as life in general.
July 11, 2025
This book lays out the 7 commitments and gives an easy to follow story that explains them and how to implement them. It’s an easy read and a book that makes you want to share.
July 30, 2025
Good read about diving deeper into developing a good team. The story line helps to bring out the message and can be modified with an adult team/department. Great values to start on.
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August 19, 2025Some valuable insights to remember and implement as a team leader, teacher, and even a mom/wife.
September 4, 2025
A straightforward story, typical of Jon Gordon's style. I feel like there are more tools, which is a plus. Worth reading.
September 29, 2025
Reads as though written by a Jr. High Student, “commitments” are tired and examples are out of touch with how humans actually behave.
October 5, 2025
It was a Jon Gordon book. Great takeaways in certain points but repetitive.
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October 22, 2025I liked it when they specified that they gave each other a "bro hug".
November 12, 2025
valuable tips in story form to help build a team that's committed to each other
November 16, 2025
It was fine. Read for prep. for character devotionals for the Devils. Will be using.
December 12, 2025
Had to read for work! Some good nuggets, but did not like the way it was written :(
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