The Sports Strategist: Developing Leaders for a High-Performance Industry

Rather than depending on winning, successful leaders in the sports business must focus on and maximize the areas they can control. We call these leaders Sports Strategists. In The Sports Strategist: Developing Leaders for a High Performing Industry, we equip existing and aspiring sports business leaders with the concepts, tools, and best practices to succeed consistently in the sports business without relying on winning. We provide readers with the ability to design identities, manage narratives, maximize new technologies, implement business analytics, navigate crisis, develop place environments, building strong public support, and utilize ethics to make better decisions. Sports Strategists who focus on the controllable factors discussed in this book will position their organizations and themselves to thrive in this high-performing industry.

Irving Rein is Professor of Communication Studies at Northwestern University. He is the author of many books, including The Elusive Fan, High Visibility, and Marketing Places. He has consulted for Major League Baseball, the United States Olympic Committee, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and numerous corporations. Ben Shields is Lecturer in Managerial Communication at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He previously served as Director of Social Media and Marketing at ESPN. He is coauthor of The Elusive Fan and has written many articles and book chapters on sports media and marketing. Adam Grossman is Founder and President of Block Six Analytics. He has worked with a number of sports organizations-including the Minnesota Timberwolves, Washington Capitals.