The Uniform of Leadership: Lessons on True Success from My ESPN Life

by Jason Romano, Stephen Copeland (With)

"One of the best leaders I know. Read this book and implement the lessons in your life. You'll be better for it." --Daryl Strawberry Jason Romano learned incredible lessons during his seventeen years as a producer at ESPN--and these fundamentals for success on the field or court work just as well in other spheres of leadership, especially when you add God's direction to the playbook. This collection of compelling, inspiring, and often funny stories challenges readers to ask themselves the hard questions. It draws them into introspection and then directs them into action so they can cultivate habits of service and excellence in themselves and in those around them. From Tony Dungy to Darryl Strawberry, Will Ferrell to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson , readers will discover how to replicate the principles practiced by some of the most influential leaders in sports and entertainment. And in the end, they'll be able to construct thriving cultures where the people they lead can bloom where they're planted and serve one another. If you want to lead a meaningful life--rooted in servant leadership, character, and integrity--and be entertained and inspired by personal, behind-the-scenes stories about athletes, coaches, and stars who spent the day with the author at ESPN, The Uniform of Leadership is your perfect guidebook.

Genres: Leadership

192 pages, Hardcover

Published July 28, 2020

Reviews

[Mark Youngkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I teach leadership at the college level, I'm always looking for material to use. So I was excited when my virtual friend Jason Romano announced that his second book was about leadership and would draw heavily on his time as a producer with ESPN. I became part of the launch team for his book and dove in when the advance copy arrived.

Alas, this book is only intermittently about leadership (and I am a bit of a snob about these things). But the subtitle is a great description: "Lessons on True Success from My ESPN Life." Jason's stories are about making an impact on others' lives as an expression of faith. We need more of that. It's not about leadership, not much at least, but that's OK. It's well worth your time.

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

For all who are seeking to be a successful leader, whether in the workplace, or at home, this book is for you. Jason's honesty, humility, courage and faith are inspiring. The life lessons Jason shares from his time at ESPN, layered upon his solid foundation of faith, shine a light on the character of an authentic leader and what true success is. I appreciate the questions asked at the end of each chapter so I was able to personally reflect on the lessons shared, and how I can best apply them in my own life. A great read that I will be sharing with others, including my teens.

[Aaron Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jason perfectly balances the topics of living faithfully and leading oneself and others within this book. As I read through the many anecdotes that Jason uses to further explain his claims, I felt that I was becoming more self-aware of my own current status as a "leader." It was challenging in the best way--offering many tools to ensure growth within the reader's life. I enjoyed this book greatly and it has, without a doubt, changed how I view leadership.
Must read. Thank you, Jason!

[Tim Head · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Jason does an excellent job of expressing all the qualities of great leaders, as well as making them come to life through his experience at ESPN. It is a unique look at what goes on behind the scenes, as well as using lessons he learned to express his ideas clearly. I will reread this book multiple times. The greatest part of this book is that it will improve you in life in general. It is definitely worth reading, no matter your place in life.

[Josh Olds · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christian books written from a sports background have always been a staple in Christian non-fiction, usually offered as the hook to get men to step inside the Christian book section, which is often overwhelmingly—for both fiction and non-fiction—geared to women. This isn’t a bad thing. As a youth pastor, the most memorable lesson series I ever did for my younger boys featured Tim Tebow. Tony Dungy has written a series of well-done books on leadership. Drew Brees, Tim Tebow, Kurt Warner, Reggie White—the list goes on. With all of these books, the goal is to take the core values or lessons learned through the sports experience and give general, practical application for everyday life.

The Uniform of Leadership shifts that calculus slightly to the realm of sports reporting. Jason Romano worked for ESPN for several years in various production and talent booking position, rubbing shoulders with the elite in both sports and sports reporting. Romano takes you on a behind the scenes tour of life at ESPN and the lessons in leadership he learned from his position and from interacting with leaders in the sports world.

There’s nothing in The Uniform of Leadership that stands out as absolutely incredible. The writing is serviceable, but not stellar. The leadership lessons are solid, but not anything incredibly new. The hook is definitely in the biographical thread of life as an ESPN producer. Because of that, I almost wished the book had focused on that aspect more strongly. The lessons on leadership almost get in the way of the compelling biography. I’m trying to read a nice story (life is story, after all) and someone keeps trying to bash me in the head with the message.

Despite this, The Uniform of Leadership is an informative, interesting, and fast read. The chapters are episodic, on average a ten-page retelling of some work or life event that exhibits some principle in leadership. Every chapter ends with a series of discussion questions to help reflect of the principles of the chapter.

In the end, if you are a sports nut, you’ll probably see some value in this book, but it’s definitely a tier down from other books in this category written by the figures mentioned above that all have basically the same types of lessons. That said, it’s difficult to criticize a book that’s the result of someone’s life journey. There’s nothing wrong with what Jason has done or what he’s learned. As his unique, individual life: wonderful. But as a book that’s part of a genre: it’s been done better. If you really want to know about the life of an ESPN producer, pick this up—that’s it’s most unique value.

[Lori Schumaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jason Romano does an excellent job of reminding us that no matter what we do or where we work, the very way in which we live is our most powerful leadership tool. For those who love sports, this book provides the unique analogy of a uniform (or jersey) to the way in which we lead in life. He writes about how a jersey represents a league, a team, and a player. The player is the third and last representation. The primary representation is the league - the greater good. He uses this analogy throughout the book to teach us that the most important role we each have is to be outwardly focused in our leadership - not self-centered.

"Each of us has been given a sphere of influence, but it's your choice whether you view your platform as something that lifts you up or as something you can use to lift up others." (p.97)

Servant leadership is the way Jesus taught us to lead, yet in today's social media-fueled world, we have become extremely "me-focused." As Jason shows us through his many life experiences in sports, so much more good can be accomplished when we let go of the "me" and focus on others.

This book is excellent primarily for those who love sports but will engage even those who don't. As a mom of athletes and author, blogger, and speaker who encourages women to face the challenges of life with the hope of Christ, I absolutely loved this book. I've shared much of it with my sons to help equip them to be strong leaders in their own sphere of influence.

[Andrew Watkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

From a Christian perspective, it’s the usual feel-good, verses taken out of context to prove the author’s point, self-improvement book, which is really unfortunate.

From a sports fan perspective, it’s nowhere near as interesting of a behind the scenes look at ESPN as I’d hoped.

[Brian3753 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. I’ve felt a little lost in my career the last few years. This book has helped me look at work through a different and better scope. I am now looking forward to leaving a better legacy than just climbing the ladder.

[Ryan Bare · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the concept of "wearing your name on the back." The jersey represents the team you play for. Also full of interesting real-life examples from celebrities that we only see from afar.

[Bill Pence · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author spent seventeen years at ESPN as a senior manager and producer, which is where he learned how to be a leader. He uses the idea of a uniform throughout the book. He tells us that we all wear a uniform. On the front is the name of the team or city we represent. On the back is our name. In this book, he shows us how to wear our uniforms well.
The book is comprised of relatively short chapters that cover leadership lessons that the author learned from ESPN. In each chapter, he illustrates the points he is making with inspiring stories about athletes or coaches that he met while a talent producer at ESPN. Some of the people he writes about are Kobe Bryant, Tony Dungy, Drew Brees, Jennie Finch, Dwight “Doc” Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, Pete Carroll, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bob Ley, Larry Bird and Rob Gronkowski. Though many of the stories in the book are sports or ESPN-related, they exemplify the uniform makeup of leadership in all aspects of life, in the home, workplace, sports, etc.
A key story that he shares early in the book involves Tony Dungy and his assistant, and Dungy’s question to the author about how was living out his faith at ESPN. That question would turn out to be life changing, and the author would come to believe that he could shine Christ’s light at ESPN. For him, and us, life is about thriving in the place God has put us. You don’t have to leave where you are serving and move to a “full-time Christian ministry”. Instead, you can represent Christ and bloom right where you are planted.
Each chapter ends with helpful “Putting on the Uniform” and “Discussing the Uniform” sections to help the reader go deeper into the material discussed in that chapter. I found this to be a helpful book on leadership and on integrating our faith with our work.
Below are 20 of my favorite quotes from the book:
• Teamwork rises out of relationships—out of serving one another. It makes all the difference.
• How will you be remembered? Will you be remembered as an others-focused leader, or as a teammate who made relationships and serving a priority?
• Without a strong sense of identity, it is almost impossible to be a good leader.
• Importance comes from worldly success. Value, however, comes from love. This is vital to remember in a world with systems that revolve entirely around performance. My value comes from just one thing, and it’s not how well I measure up by this world’s standards. It’s my identity as a child of God.
• You are more than your performance.
• Maybe you can’t control the circumstances, but you can control your response to them. Choose a godly attitude and it will ripple out to those around you. That’s leadership.
• It’s your job as a leader to instill value in those you are leading.
• Each of us has been given a sphere of influence, but it’s your choice whether you view your platform as something that lifts you up or as something you can use to lift up others.
• It’s important for a leader to become increasingly outward-focused over time in order to leave lasting, positive imprints on others.
• The true meaning of platform—of success—is using whatever skills, gifts, influence, and material possessions you have to lift up others, not yourself.
• Leadership is more about being aware of people’s daily needs—being outward-focused—and doing the little things each day that let others know they are valued.
• Consistent leaders—those who focus on the hearts and minds of those they are leading each day—create cultures that are consistently inspired.
• Bold leaders aren’t interested in just blending in; they’re focused on making a difference and letting their voices be heard.
• Failure is a gift. It can strengthen our direction. It can bring clarity in our processes. It can give us perspective. It can ignite growth and transformation. Failure doesn’t have to be feared.
• You have the opportunity to share life with others and empathize with them—to understand their personalities, pressures, and struggles in life so you can offer them grace, compassion, and understanding.
• When you show those you lead that you care about their entire lives, both at work and outside of work, you show them value.
• I don’t know anyone who doesn’t benefit from words of affirmation. The best teams have people who affirm one another and also seek wise counsel and feedback on how they can improve.
• A little bit of empathy changes everything. It always has and always will. Especially in a culture that is becoming increasingly self-serving, empathy stands out.
• Your legacy of leadership may well be defined by how empathetic you are.
• Leadership absolutely requires challenging those you lead, pushing them, and helping them to develop, but if you don’t make people feel valued and inspired, then you probably are not a good leader.

[Richard Mattson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the great pleasure of meeting and interviewing the author, Jason Romano, for my podcast “AMAZING GREATS”. He was authentic, passionate and generous in sharing his story. I read both of his books. The “Uniform for Leadership” was completely different from his first book and was a refreshing look at leadership based on love and compassion through his experiences at ESPN with both world class sports broadcasters and world class athletes. He collected some amazing insight from those he connected with along the way and the well written book shared that insight in the framework of “ blooming where you are planted” and wearing the uniform that reflects the team you are on….wherever you find yourself in life: at work, home, community. Great insight and many many usable tools to strengthen leadership skills based on biblical principals. Awesome book.

[matthew norton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very nice read.

Great book for any professional in the workplace. I enjoyed Jason's perspective very much. Looking forward to this authors next book.