All In: How Great Leaders Build Unstoppable Teams

by Mike Michalowicz

The bestselling author of Profit First shows you how to build unstoppable teams where everyone wins.

ALL IN is the pinnacle book in Mike Michalowicz's Entrepreneurship Simplified series, setting the standard for building high-performing teams in today’s challenging work environment. Whether dealing with remote work, flex schedules, or generational divides, ALL IN provides a proven framework for recruiting top talent, transforming underperformers into superstars, and cultivating a culture where every employee is as dedicated as an owner.

As the flagship of the Entrepreneurship Simplified series, ALL IN is complemented by Michalowicz's other essential titles, each tackling a different core aspect of

The Pumpkin Plan: A blueprint for focusing on your best clients to achieve lasting success.Clockwork: A guide to creating systems that allow your business to run without relying on you.Profit First: A revolutionary financial system that prioritizes profitability from the start.Fix This Next: A method for diagnosing and addressing your business's most pressing problems.Get Different: Bold, creative marketing strategies that make you stand out in a crowded marketplace.
Together, these books equip entrepreneurs with the tools they need to simplify challenges and drive growth, with ALL IN leading the way in building a team that can take your business to the next level.

Genres: Business, Leadership, Buisness, Audiobook, Nonfiction

Audible Audio

Published January 2, 2024

Reviews

[Jung · Rating 5 out of 5]

"All In: How Great Leaders Build Unstoppable Teams" by Mike Michalowicz challenges traditional recruitment methods and emphasizes the importance of creativity and strategic thinking in assembling exceptional teams.

Recruitment fantasies often involve attracting top candidates with impressive resumes, but the reality is often far from ideal. Rushed hiring processes can result in mismatches and wasted time, leading to added stress for managers already stretched thin. Even promoting from within doesn't guarantee success without strategic oversight and nurturing.

The narrative illustrates the high cost of bad hires through Sabine's experience with Janet, whose recruitment was rushed and lacked proper onboarding. Initial relief turned into frustration as Janet struggled with her responsibilities, ultimately damaging client relationships and causing significant stress for Sabine.

To build great teams, leaders must first be great teammates themselves. Sabine's reflection on her role in Janet's performance highlighted the importance of investing time and energy in onboarding and fostering engagement from the start.

Rather than waiting until desperation strikes, recruitment should be an ongoing process integrated into business growth strategies. Offering workshops or learning opportunities not only attracts potential candidates but also provides valuable insights into their potential as team members.

Hiring for potential rather than solely focusing on experience can transform recruitment outcomes. By investing in candidates and providing opportunities for growth and development, organizations can cultivate engaged and invested team members.

Community-building plays a crucial role in team dynamics, fostering a sense of ownership and commitment among members. Seeing the organization as a community encourages active participation and drives productivity and innovation.

Ultimately, viewing recruitment as a value exchange and investing in potential rather than experience can unlock the full potential of teams, driving growth and success for the organization as a whole.

[Anthony Angotti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great message, not often followed in business today.

[Jose Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una guía excelente para el desarrollo se equipos de alto desempeño, nos muestra herramientas indispensables para lograr resultados exitosos

[Sarah Cupitt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Look, it came out in January. Of course, I had to see if there were any new revolutionary concepts. Spoiler: there wasn't. This book actually gave me a headache. The only tagline/suggestion was more or less: Want great teams? Be a great teammate. Here's a suggestion, instead of developing a 'recruitment mindset' (whatever the meaningless fuck that was) how about fixing toxic companies before shoving people into the deep end and then blaming them for your toxic work culture.

Notes:
- Sabine was slow to respond. She told herself that Janet would figure it out on her own just like she had. Over time, Janet stopped calling in, and didn’t ask for any more help. (I really feel like this result should be common knowledge, and should have been easily avoided instead of writing books for managers to learn this after they have already become managers)
- Also after working her to the bone who gives a shit if she wanted time off for a party or a funeral you didn't HELP her
- Easy choice to discuss why the the who, the what, and the why of their business may have given Sabine a better experience, but I'd argue the lack of onboarding was a red flag more so - not a vision statement to follow
- Taking advantage of free opportunities to learn and grow means that anyone coming to learn from you is already demonstrating the curiosity, desire for growth, and active engagement that great teams thrive on. (cough, unpaid labour, tired of this being encouraged/requried)
- This book really went we want people to be personally invested in the success of their business without actually providing anything extra in return because they shouldn't need to

[Sam Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so thankful to PRH Audio, Portfolio Books, and Mike Michalowicz for granting me listening access to this insightful read and I’m happy to report that this one has been released as of January 2nd of this year, so all the insights and bits of advice are fairly fresh and relevant.

Michalowicz has written quite a few books. This is his long-awaited follow-up, covering the importance of being a great leader instead of a good leader and how that makes a difference in your employees’ well-being, performance, and standing in your company. Michalowicz touches on various experiences and formulas for harboring success in the workplace, including Success + Wellbeing x Purpose + Joy and this can be applied by prioritizing and repositioning employees’ dreams and goals to the front line, so that employees feel valued and heard.

There are so many quotable tidbits in this book and I really feel there is value for our customer base throughout the pages of this piece. I’d recommend listening to All In at a normal speed so you can jot down all the golden nuggets of advice and won’t miss out on any of the good stuff. Great Leaders Build Unstoppable Teams is a great title for this book because readers can do just that within its pages.

[David Carriere · Rating 5 out of 5]

All In: How Great Leaders Build Unstoppable Teams is a practical, no nonsense guide for leaders who are tired of superficial fixes and ready to build teams that genuinely care about their work and outcomes. Mike Michalowicz cuts through the noise of perks and performative culture to focus on what actually drives commitment, ownership, and long term performance.

What makes this book stand out is its clarity of intent. Rather than framing leadership as motivation or control, Michalowicz centers it on alignment. He shows how recruiting the right people, developing existing talent, and matching strengths to real organizational needs can transform disengaged teams into invested partners. The emphasis on shared responsibility reframes employees not as resources, but as stakeholders.

Direct, actionable, and grounded in real world experience, All In is especially valuable for leaders navigating modern workplace complexity. It offers a clear blueprint for building teams that do not just function, but flourish, creating environments where accountability, loyalty, and growth reinforce one another.

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is mostly for people who are new into scaling small businesses and hire their first people. For that, the book is excellent. It has a great story (as all of Mike’s books) and it introduces you to successful methods that are commonly used in modern companies (especially in the Tech industry).

Due to my leadership role in tech, I haven’t learned much in this book but I’m leaving this review to confirm that the concepts Mike talks about work. I didn’t see this book as a waste of time as it helps me to put ideas into more engaging stories and words. On top of that, I know have a book to recommend people who are new to this.

One note: the book references a feedback giving method called “sandwich method”. Depending on the person and culture, I don’t see this method working so well. Personally, I’m opting for alternate approach: (1) micro-yes, (2) objective situation context, (3) show impact, (4) end on question

[Maxine Blackwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone has the potential to be a great team player, if leaders view recruitment beyond filling roles. Thinking about offering value to potential candidates can unlock a host of opportunities to reveal their curiosity, desire, and motivation – all essential qualities in a dream team. Taking the time to invest in potential instead of experience requires humility, patience, and empathy, but it demonstrates the kind of investment you’re willing to make in your team. Seeing great teams as a community first emphasizes active, dynamic personal investment in the outcome, driving growth and productivity to new heights.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the basic idea of the book and the way of managing people: nurture them and identify what drives them and they will be enthusiastic at their jobs. However, the book itself is a bit of a hodge podge of a bunch of other books, touching of psychological safety, crucial conversations, Scaling Up, and more.

Ultimately, a lot of these management, leadership, and business books tell me a lot of what I consider to be no brainer info: be nice to people and care about them and they’ll care about you and the work. Like, really? Don’t be mean and they’ll want to stay and keep working for you?

[Melinda Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really excellent book on leadership and team building. I wasn't sure this would be for me but it was recommended by Margaret Marcuson and it's affirmed some of my leadership traits and encouraging me as a leader. I plan to use some of these tools in our monthly staff gatherings and one on one meetings.

[Guillermo Magallanes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lectura indispensable para dueños de negocio y directores que tienen retos con su equipo de trabajo.

[Mir Shahzad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book.

[Tieraney Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT book on inspiring teamwork in the workplace! Every manager would find this insightful!

[Maram Alghamdi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nothing new nothing old

[Nathan C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read for business leaders

[Esteban]

Great book for entrepenuers looking for building strong teams

[Digi M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nup. He lost me at how selective he was at hiring and everything he would do to decide who was "all in" for joining his company. Not realistic and not practical.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really appreciate how humanizing this approach is.

[Valerie Ott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the writing style of this author. Humor + reality.

[Bryan Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

all in

All in on this book so you can be all in to be helping others in ways that no one can

[Lily Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides structure, motivation, and justification for human-centered leadership that will help your business boom. Easily in my top 3 leadership books to recommend.

[Darryl Burling · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some helpful insights in here but I didn’t think the value here was (at least for me) as high as with his other books.

[عمر الحمادي · Rating 3 out of 5]

ملفت تقسيم الموظفين إلى ثلاثة أقسام، والذي يبنى عليه نظام المكافآت في بعض الشركات:

١- الموظف النجم الذي يعتبر وظيفته هويته
٢- الموظف الذي يرى الوظيفة مصدراِ للدخل فيفعل ما تتطلبه الوظيفة لكنه لا يعتبر الشركة جزء منه ويغادرها جسديا وعاطفيا بمجرد انتهاء الدوام الرسمي.
٣- الموظف الذي يعطي الأولوية لكل شيء إلا عمله وفد يؤدي الحد الأدنى من المطلوب فقط