Interview with Nick Reich, Author of Every Player Is Bigger Than the Program

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write this book?

This book has been 15 years in the making. After helping build a brand-new high school basketball program into a state championship team in just four years – the fastest in Indiana high school history – people often told me the story should become a book.

Over time, I realized the championship wasn’t really the story. The story was about leadership, culture, and what happens when people are developed instead of managed. As I’ve worked with leaders and organizations around the country, I’ve become convinced that we need a more human-centered approach to leadership than the one many of us inherited.

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I read a bit of everything. I read about mindfulness and spirituality in the mornings, books on business and leadership, and a good fiction book in the evening.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

I will never get to all of the books that I have in the pile! Next books up are The Art of Learning and The War of Art.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

Reliving our Regional championship games was a lot of fun. That day has a whole book packed inside it! It really was the culmination of four years of growing and learning. You should really check out the book, just to read about that one day!

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

Flow with what’s happening in life and grow through it.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

Everyday leaders (parents, teachers, coaches, managers) can build people up or break them down.