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Russell Rules: 11 Lessons on Leadership from the Twentieth Century's Greatest Winner
In this invaluable book, Bill Russell shares the insights, the memories, and most importantly, the essential "rules of success" that influenced him in every aspect of his life, from raising a daughter as a single father to becoming a successful coach and mentor to others, Filled with personal and professional stories of his days playing with Celtic greats Bob Cousy, Tom Heinsohn, Sam Jones, and coach Red Auerbach, Russell Rules offers inspiring lessons on commitment, personal integrity, teamwork, and success.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
35 people are currently reading
311 people want to read
About the author
Bill Russell
6 books22 followersWilliam Felton Russell (born February 12, 1934) was an American former professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969.
Bill^^^^Russell
Bill^^^^Russell
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
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May 7, 2009I personally met MR. Bill Russell in Menlo Park book signing. I got 4 copies authographed by him. One for me and my son , one for my brother - and one copy with a special dedication to my Dad, who was in the same batch with him at USF.
He rode in my Dad's Cadillac convertible during the USF NCAA victory parade.
He rode in my Dad's Cadillac convertible during the USF NCAA victory parade.
August 14, 2011
Awesome book! What a great book on teamwork and leadership. It was always all about the team. If each of us had this attitude at work, what great corporations we would have. Working hard to build the corporation rather than just ourselves. Great book!
September 10, 2016
Kenneth Soares
9/8/16
Title: Russell Rules Authors: Bill Russell, Alan Hilburg, and David Falkner
*The main characters in this book are, Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain. As most people say, Bill Russell is the best winner in sports history. He won 11 NBA Championships in 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics (coached a team to 2 of those championships), he was named the 20th century's greatest winner, first African American to coach a team to two NBA championships without an assistant coach, and he was the first athlete to win a NBA championship and Olympic gold medal in the same year. In this book, Bill Russell says that his biggest challenge throughout his career was Wilt Chamberlain. He said Wilt was a tenacious rebounder down in the paint. Wilt was also listed at 7 foot 1, so he also had a height advantage on Bill Russell who is 6 foot 10. Wilt Chamberlain was not only a tenacious rebounder, but he was also great mid-range, and inside scorer. So Wilt really spaced out his game. So with that, Bill had to be in the perfect position just to defend him.
*The plot of the book includes many examples of how Bill Russell’s rules work. Bill Russell explained throughout the book his different ways of showing teamwork, innovation, and leadership towards his basketball team, which he developed 11 leadership rules . Looking at his history of wins, obviously, something was working. The rules that Bill Russell he came up with, cannot only be used on the court, but in real life as well. There are times where you have to listen and remember things, or imagine different things, or just be disciplined. This book is really telling you how to manage your life the right way and to not only make your life better, but you could also make someone else’s life better as well. Bill Russell was basically the coach on the court. He takes charge of the team a lot when he is on the court. Especially when he was made an assistant coach of the team, but at the same time he was a player. On Bill Russell’s first practice as an assistant coach and player, he talks about how the team played a joke on him by taking his shoes and hiding them. Bill Russell asked them if they could tell him where his shoes were, but nobody answered. So he told them to keep practicing. While they were practicing, he looked for his shoes with the trainer and found them behind the bleachers. He then put the shoes in his locker. After he put his shoes away, he told the team to stop practicing and that he would give them 15 minutes to find his shoes before the whole team runs for the rest of the practice. When the team looked in the spot where the shoes were before, they were surprised to find out that they weren’t there anymore. So when the 15 minutes were up, the whole team ended up running for the rest of the practice. This is showing how Bill Russell takes charge and becomes a leader for his team.
*The conflict Bill Russell had was when he had to make the decision to either make the team his own and score points without worrying about passing or making his teammates better, or he could pass the ball to his teammates and have them score a lot and have them get better. He resolved it by putting the team first so that they could win as many championships as they did. For example, in one of his Celtics games, the team was losing. Bill Russell came up with the idea to give the ball to the best shooter on their team, Sam Jones, and to just have him take over at the end of that game. The Celtics players kept on feeding Sam Jones the ball and every time he would shoot it. They came back and won that game because Sam Jones put on such a good shooting performance. So this is a great example of how Bill Russell put the team first in order to win games. This is why he won so many championships!
*If I were to recommend a book to someone, this would be the book. I really liked this book, because it shows what Bill Russell did to show his leadership skills. He gave several examples of situations he had been through and shows the ways he put other individuals ahead of himself. Bill wasn’t a cocky person. He never worried about his stats more than he wanted the team to win first. I think that is great way to think, because with a self first mentality, you risk your team and it’s ability to win. I have learned many different things from this book. To be a strong leader on and off the court, you need to make the right decisions not only for yourself, but for the team as well.
9/8/16
Title: Russell Rules Authors: Bill Russell, Alan Hilburg, and David Falkner
*The main characters in this book are, Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain. As most people say, Bill Russell is the best winner in sports history. He won 11 NBA Championships in 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics (coached a team to 2 of those championships), he was named the 20th century's greatest winner, first African American to coach a team to two NBA championships without an assistant coach, and he was the first athlete to win a NBA championship and Olympic gold medal in the same year. In this book, Bill Russell says that his biggest challenge throughout his career was Wilt Chamberlain. He said Wilt was a tenacious rebounder down in the paint. Wilt was also listed at 7 foot 1, so he also had a height advantage on Bill Russell who is 6 foot 10. Wilt Chamberlain was not only a tenacious rebounder, but he was also great mid-range, and inside scorer. So Wilt really spaced out his game. So with that, Bill had to be in the perfect position just to defend him.
*The plot of the book includes many examples of how Bill Russell’s rules work. Bill Russell explained throughout the book his different ways of showing teamwork, innovation, and leadership towards his basketball team, which he developed 11 leadership rules . Looking at his history of wins, obviously, something was working. The rules that Bill Russell he came up with, cannot only be used on the court, but in real life as well. There are times where you have to listen and remember things, or imagine different things, or just be disciplined. This book is really telling you how to manage your life the right way and to not only make your life better, but you could also make someone else’s life better as well. Bill Russell was basically the coach on the court. He takes charge of the team a lot when he is on the court. Especially when he was made an assistant coach of the team, but at the same time he was a player. On Bill Russell’s first practice as an assistant coach and player, he talks about how the team played a joke on him by taking his shoes and hiding them. Bill Russell asked them if they could tell him where his shoes were, but nobody answered. So he told them to keep practicing. While they were practicing, he looked for his shoes with the trainer and found them behind the bleachers. He then put the shoes in his locker. After he put his shoes away, he told the team to stop practicing and that he would give them 15 minutes to find his shoes before the whole team runs for the rest of the practice. When the team looked in the spot where the shoes were before, they were surprised to find out that they weren’t there anymore. So when the 15 minutes were up, the whole team ended up running for the rest of the practice. This is showing how Bill Russell takes charge and becomes a leader for his team.
*The conflict Bill Russell had was when he had to make the decision to either make the team his own and score points without worrying about passing or making his teammates better, or he could pass the ball to his teammates and have them score a lot and have them get better. He resolved it by putting the team first so that they could win as many championships as they did. For example, in one of his Celtics games, the team was losing. Bill Russell came up with the idea to give the ball to the best shooter on their team, Sam Jones, and to just have him take over at the end of that game. The Celtics players kept on feeding Sam Jones the ball and every time he would shoot it. They came back and won that game because Sam Jones put on such a good shooting performance. So this is a great example of how Bill Russell put the team first in order to win games. This is why he won so many championships!
*If I were to recommend a book to someone, this would be the book. I really liked this book, because it shows what Bill Russell did to show his leadership skills. He gave several examples of situations he had been through and shows the ways he put other individuals ahead of himself. Bill wasn’t a cocky person. He never worried about his stats more than he wanted the team to win first. I think that is great way to think, because with a self first mentality, you risk your team and it’s ability to win. I have learned many different things from this book. To be a strong leader on and off the court, you need to make the right decisions not only for yourself, but for the team as well.
May 18, 2019
Veliki šampioni razmišljaju drugačije od ostalih. Bill je jedan od najvećih ikada. Košarka za njega nije samo igra već život.
September 4, 2017
An excellent and insightful look at leadership and coaching from Russell. He gives some practical and useful examples from his playing and coaching career that translate well to a non-sports environment and he takes care to make this not a basketball book...however there is obviously a lot of basketball in here. Basketball is one notch above watching paint dry (for me), but there's not so much basketball as to make this a chore.
This is a great general leadership book. It would be interesting to anyone building their toolkit for leadership. His take on leadership is a mix of standard fare with some substantial twists and innovative new perspectives.
This is a great general leadership book. It would be interesting to anyone building their toolkit for leadership. His take on leadership is a mix of standard fare with some substantial twists and innovative new perspectives.
March 28, 2017
This is a very good leadership read. Russell, relates his experience his ability to lead basketball teams to everyday life. No matter what you do for a living or what you would like to accomplish this is a great guide. It's not that Russell reinvented any concepts but he certainly can explain how to execute leadership qualities.- Eugene Vallante
March 6, 2019
This is a neat book my dad actually gifted to me. It teaches leadership from any role whether work or as a coach or as a parent. Russell reminds you how important it is to play that role and how it can influence others and yourself to reach the highest highs
March 27, 2011
Big fan of Bill Russell, so was drawn to the book. It was pretty good, he's straightforward in his advice
May 9, 2012
Awesome!
August 28, 2015
Very useful; helps with coach and life from a practical standpoint. Many of the practical points can be tied to Proverbs.
March 10, 2018
POTUS needs to read this book. I enjoyed the basketball bits, but the lessons in leadership I did not need.
May 28, 2018
if you want to know about leadership and team mentality - read this book from one of the greats!
August 15, 2022
Bill Russell, who died on July 31, was known as the “Greatest Winner of the 20th Century”. My favorite basketball player growing up was Wilt Chamberlain. Russell’s Boston Celtics would often dash the championship hopes of Chamberlain’s teams. Russell writes that he played basketball for twenty-one years and that the teams he played for won championships eighteen times in those years.
I was able to see Russell speak at my local university in the late 1970’s, and had previously read his book Red and Me: My Coach, My Lifelong Friend, about his longtime coach Red Auerbach. To honor Russell, no NBA player in the future will ever again wear his #6.
In this book, Russell shares the principles and values that went into winning eleven NBA Championships in thirteen years. The book is about the skill sets, mostly mental and emotional, necessary for winning. Each chapter of the book is devoted to a lesson (eleven in all), that is essential to winning. Within each chapter are three rules that will help you with your leadership skills.
Russell describes “Celtic Pride” as a culture. He tells us that it is not only a way you see yourself, it is a way you want others to see you. Celtic Pride is what he has tried to spell out in practical terms in this book. He wrote the book to help make sure others could see how to emulate the success he and the Celtics enjoyed.
I enjoyed the stories Russell told in the book, most of which, were about basketball. I was pleasantly surprised to read that he and Chamberlain, though fierce competitors on the court, were very good friends until Chamberlain’s death in 1999.
Here are the eleven principles that Russell shares, along with a few quotes about each principle:
LESSON ONE COMMITMENT BEGINS WITH CURIOSITY
• Commitment in my mind is the common denominator separating those who live their dreams from those who live their lives regretting the opportunities they have squandered.
• As long as you have a willingness to accept adversity and do something about it, you give yourself the chance to win. When your curiosity asks you to take risks, take them.
LESSON TWO EGO = MC2
• Ego is about using yourself to your own best advantage, getting the most out of yourself and your abilities, but only in the context of your team’s ability to win.
LESSON THREE LISTENING IS NEVER CASUAL
• The most important thing any business leader needs to know about listening is that there is a difference between hearing and listening.
• Listening is a leadership skill that has to be developed. It is about respecting others and yourself enough so that you can put yourself, your company, your family, in position to win.
LESSON FOUR TOUGHNESS OR TENDERNESS: CREATING YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE
• Great leaders in my opinion possess three flexible skills: toughness, tenderness, and the ability to know when is the right time to use one or the other. This is one of the most valuable skills any leader can gain.
• The choice of how to lead is more than a skill. It is a reflection of both the leader himself and of the culture he or she has created for the company.
LESSON FIVE INVISIBLE MAN
• Use invisibility to shape how others see you. Create perceptions, don’t just rely on them.
LESSON SIX CRAFTSMANSHIP
• The better you are at what you do, the more you set an example without words or memos for others to see and follow.
• Learning should be a daily experience and a lifetime mission.
LESSON SEVEN PERSONAL INTEGRITY
• Integrity is your guide. It will permit you to act and to live as a winner, no matter what your station in life.
LESSON EIGHT REBOUNDING, OR HOW TO CHANGE THE FLOW OF THE GAME
• Rebounding from both victory and defeat requires a great deal of self-knowledge, but I think rebounding from victory is much harder.
• Build resilience both as a winner and in defeat.
LESSON NINE IMAGINATION, OR SEEING THE UNSEEABLE
• Seeing all possibilities, seeing all that can be done, even if it has never been achieved, marks the power of imagination.
LESSON TEN DISCIPLINE, DELEGATION, AND DECISION-MAKING
• Delegating authority in decision-making can only take place successfully when there is absolute confidence in those to whom power is given.
• Active listening allows you to hear what isn’t being said as much as what is being said.
LESSON ELEVEN EVERYONE CAN WIN
• Take the first step to winning today. Make sure that you start from where you happen to find yourself.
• Success is never a destination and always a journey.
I was able to see Russell speak at my local university in the late 1970’s, and had previously read his book Red and Me: My Coach, My Lifelong Friend, about his longtime coach Red Auerbach. To honor Russell, no NBA player in the future will ever again wear his #6.
In this book, Russell shares the principles and values that went into winning eleven NBA Championships in thirteen years. The book is about the skill sets, mostly mental and emotional, necessary for winning. Each chapter of the book is devoted to a lesson (eleven in all), that is essential to winning. Within each chapter are three rules that will help you with your leadership skills.
Russell describes “Celtic Pride” as a culture. He tells us that it is not only a way you see yourself, it is a way you want others to see you. Celtic Pride is what he has tried to spell out in practical terms in this book. He wrote the book to help make sure others could see how to emulate the success he and the Celtics enjoyed.
I enjoyed the stories Russell told in the book, most of which, were about basketball. I was pleasantly surprised to read that he and Chamberlain, though fierce competitors on the court, were very good friends until Chamberlain’s death in 1999.
Here are the eleven principles that Russell shares, along with a few quotes about each principle:
LESSON ONE COMMITMENT BEGINS WITH CURIOSITY
• Commitment in my mind is the common denominator separating those who live their dreams from those who live their lives regretting the opportunities they have squandered.
• As long as you have a willingness to accept adversity and do something about it, you give yourself the chance to win. When your curiosity asks you to take risks, take them.
LESSON TWO EGO = MC2
• Ego is about using yourself to your own best advantage, getting the most out of yourself and your abilities, but only in the context of your team’s ability to win.
LESSON THREE LISTENING IS NEVER CASUAL
• The most important thing any business leader needs to know about listening is that there is a difference between hearing and listening.
• Listening is a leadership skill that has to be developed. It is about respecting others and yourself enough so that you can put yourself, your company, your family, in position to win.
LESSON FOUR TOUGHNESS OR TENDERNESS: CREATING YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE
• Great leaders in my opinion possess three flexible skills: toughness, tenderness, and the ability to know when is the right time to use one or the other. This is one of the most valuable skills any leader can gain.
• The choice of how to lead is more than a skill. It is a reflection of both the leader himself and of the culture he or she has created for the company.
LESSON FIVE INVISIBLE MAN
• Use invisibility to shape how others see you. Create perceptions, don’t just rely on them.
LESSON SIX CRAFTSMANSHIP
• The better you are at what you do, the more you set an example without words or memos for others to see and follow.
• Learning should be a daily experience and a lifetime mission.
LESSON SEVEN PERSONAL INTEGRITY
• Integrity is your guide. It will permit you to act and to live as a winner, no matter what your station in life.
LESSON EIGHT REBOUNDING, OR HOW TO CHANGE THE FLOW OF THE GAME
• Rebounding from both victory and defeat requires a great deal of self-knowledge, but I think rebounding from victory is much harder.
• Build resilience both as a winner and in defeat.
LESSON NINE IMAGINATION, OR SEEING THE UNSEEABLE
• Seeing all possibilities, seeing all that can be done, even if it has never been achieved, marks the power of imagination.
LESSON TEN DISCIPLINE, DELEGATION, AND DECISION-MAKING
• Delegating authority in decision-making can only take place successfully when there is absolute confidence in those to whom power is given.
• Active listening allows you to hear what isn’t being said as much as what is being said.
LESSON ELEVEN EVERYONE CAN WIN
• Take the first step to winning today. Make sure that you start from where you happen to find yourself.
• Success is never a destination and always a journey.
May 30, 2021
Good book that I recommend to all hardcore NBA fans or those individuals who are casual basketball fans seeking a solid, easy-to-read self help book on business success. The author, Bill Russell, is a HOF center who was instrumental in bringing 11 NBA championships to the Celtics in a 13 year span. Mr Russell was also a highly successful businessman after retirement from the game. He provides readers with 11 core compontencies essential for success in business or other leadership situations whether coaching youth programs or leading a church outreach program. He provides very interesting analogies for each principle from his time with the Celtics. I have always enjoyed the sport/leadership genre of literature and this work is an outstanding example.
July 8, 2025
I picked up this book hoping to learn what winning really means, after all, Bill Russell isn’t just a legend, he’s the winningest player of our generation. The book delivered with a ton of behind-the-scenes stories and wisdom, especially around managing different personalities to bring out the best in a team. Surprisingly, it wasn’t just about basketball, it made me reflect on how I lead in group settings. Learning to understand everyone’s motivations has helped me show up as a stronger leader and a better teammate.
Now, full disclosure: I’m a Lakers fan, so reading life lessons from a Celtics icon wasn’t exactly easy on my purple-and-gold heart. But credit where it’s due, Bill Russell didn’t just win games, he won me over. Totally worth the read.
Now, full disclosure: I’m a Lakers fan, so reading life lessons from a Celtics icon wasn’t exactly easy on my purple-and-gold heart. But credit where it’s due, Bill Russell didn’t just win games, he won me over. Totally worth the read.
February 26, 2023
Full disclosure I hate the Celtics so keep in mind I don't like his team or city by default.
Bill Russell was an incredible human being. I'm jealous of all the old timers that got to see him play, I've seen a few of his games on YouTube.
This book teaches you about life more than anything. Dude just won all the time. I'm embarrassed most NBA fans think what he did was easy. Literally, no one else could have done it.
Bill was a civil rights leader and just honestly such an amazing person. I learned a lot!
Bill Russell was an incredible human being. I'm jealous of all the old timers that got to see him play, I've seen a few of his games on YouTube.
This book teaches you about life more than anything. Dude just won all the time. I'm embarrassed most NBA fans think what he did was easy. Literally, no one else could have done it.
Bill was a civil rights leader and just honestly such an amazing person. I learned a lot!
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November 25, 2022i wanted his memoir but accidentally reserved this from the library instead so i just went for it. not giving it a star rating cause i refuse to disrespect a legend but idk i wouldn’t necessarily recommend this read. some good advice but overall felt forced
April 9, 2020
Bill Russell talks about lessons from basketball, life, and relates them to business. B
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October 28, 2020By far the best book I have ever read on leadership.
May 22, 2022
Enjoyed Go Up for Glory and Second Wind more. Russell talking about business success isn’t my favorite Russell. Still enjoyable though.
December 13, 2022
Basketball as well as life is a team sport. We do better when we all do better. Play the game as a team and everyone succeeds. Russell has hit the nail on the head.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews