Trillion Dollar Coach

Updated: January 18, 2023

"Trillion Dollar Coach" is the memoir of Bill Campbell, a former college football player and coach who worked with some of Silicon Valley's most successful companies, including Google and Apple.

The book provides insights into Bill's leadership style and the strategies he used to help companies grow and succeed. It also includes tips for leaders on how to create an innovative and successful culture.

Favorite quotes from the book:

Trillion Dollar Coach reveals that to be a great manager, you have to be a great coach. After all, the higher you climb, the more your success depends on making other people successful. By definition, that's what coaches do.

Compensation isn't just about the economic value of the money; it's about the emotional value. It's a signaling device for recognition, respect, and status, and it ties people strongly to the goals of the company.

Be relentlessly honest and candid, couple negative feedback with caring, give feedback as soon as possible, and if the feedback is negative, deliver it privately.

He started by building trust, which only deepened over time. He was highly selective in choosing his coaches; he would only coach the coachable, the humble, hungry lifelong learners. He listened intently, without distraction. He usually didn't tell you what to do; rather, he shared stories and let you draw conclusions. He gave, and demanded, complete candor. And he was an evangelist for courage, by showing inordinate confidence and setting aspirations high.

That's why, when faced with an issue, his first question wasn't about the issue itself, it was about the team tasked with tackling the issue. Get the team right and you'll get the issue right.