Growing up a basketball “gym rat”, I easily relate to Brook’s perspective and background. I can hear some of my coaches in his writing. Ryan grew himself in a similar setting and shares hard-fought and earned wisdom about effectiveness and growth. Both authors present a simple but effective path and perspective to pursue purpose and excellence in that purpose.

Each chapter ends with an objective along with an assignment to reinforce the just-read message. These activities seemed fresh to me and helped me carve out my assessment of the chapter and how it related to my development and purpose. There’s some overlap in some mainstream coaching but I found these exercises mostly unique.

Overall, the book coaches us to pursue our purpose unabashedly and striving for excellence in that purpose though:

Self-awareness and an internal locus of control: self-efficacy – I can figure this out – growth mindset

Process over outcomes brings fulfillment

We must lead and know ourselves before leading others

Be willing to be a beginner. Similar to Satya Nadella’s sentiment, “Don't be a know it all, be a learn-it-all”

Accepting it never gets easier but rather we handle hard better. Similar to the premise: don’t wish it was easier, pray for strength to overcome

Be compelling vs commanding

Set high standards – this provides everyone with innate flexibility to exercise good situational judgment using solid values to direct actions

“Advantage us”: whenever something “bad” occurred for Brook’s team, the team accepted this for what it was and simply moved on. This is similar to Coach K’s “Next play”, Trever Noad’s “Neutral thinking”, or Jocko Willink’s automatic reaction of “Good!” whenever something challenges a team member

This book presents many growth-oriented leadership principles and perspectives. Having read many books like this, I felt the concepts were unique and uniquely delivered. I found the writing inspiring and compelling. The exercises concluding each chapter engaged me in a way most books miss out.

The Score That Matters: Growing Excellence in Yourself and Those You Lead by Ryan Hawk and Brook Cupps is a great book that shows the reader how to motivate themselves to do better by focusing on internal motivations rather than external. Whether you are in a classroom, on a court or field, or in an office having a motivation to do well will change the way that you do things. Being motivated makes you more productive and more competitive. The authors make the argument that by finding internal motivations rather than external ones you can become a far more powerful force, and by finding those same motivations in others you can create teams who will achieve far more. I found that everything the authors stated was true for me. By pushing myself to accomplish something I am able to rise higher than if I am just trying to meet a goal given by someone else. What is nice about this book is that it can apply to almost any field making it a great read for anyone at any age.

Ryan Hawk and Brook Cupps deliver an outstanding guide to self-improvement and leadership in their latest book. The Score That Matters is packed with practical advice and actionable exercises that challenge readers to push their limits and strive for excellence. The authors' focus on hard work and perseverance makes the journey both rewarding and enjoyable.

One of the standout features of this book is its applicability to various aspects of life. Whether you're a manager, a team leader, or simply looking to better yourself, the insights provided are invaluable. The chapter on identifying core values through symbols, for example, offers a creative and effective way to align personal and professional goals.

Overall, this book is a treasure trove of wisdom and practical tips. It's well-structured, engaging, and thought-provoking, making it a must-read for anyone looking to enhance their personal and professional life. Hawk and Cupps have truly created a resource that inspires growth and excellence in both oneself and those they lead.

Thought provoking, interesting, useful, inspirational, and well developed are some of the many words that I would use to describe this amazing book. The author made an incredible job delving into topics such as success using the traditional metrics. Also, I loved how this book challenged the common perceptions of achievement and switched from focusing on external validation and conventional definitions, to more meaningful and lasting accomplishments.

One of the things that made this book stand out from others is the way in which the author's narrative made the book more motivational, encouraging us as readers to take a step back and made us think of what success really means.

Overall, this book offers inspiration and practical tools to create a more fulfilling definition of success. It’s an ideal read for anyone looking for balance, personal growth, and long lasting impact.

I really enjoyed this amazing book! I believe this book is written for everyone, no matter where you live, where you are in life, and what you do. Now a days, we somehow have given ourselves value depending on how many likes or followers we have but life is much more than that and there are other things that matter much more.

This book will help the reader see beyond that number and that basic trend of today. A thing I really liked from this book is that after each chapter, a sort of assignment follows that chapter to reinforce it and help the reader better understand it.

The purpose of this book in my opinion, is to lead the reader to greatness and success and I highly recommend it!

Are we working for an external prize that is beyond our control and often just outside of our grasp, or are we guided by an internal light to become the person we are meant to be? But what matters more is the system you create to help achieve it. What are the daily actions that, if done consistently, will lead to meeting the goal? That should be your focus. The mundane aspect of excellence is a beautiful thing for those willing to embrace it. Transformational leadership works by reinforcing standards that reflect core values, not by enforcing rules. A fantastic book that everyone needs to read. It really made me think of how I was approaching life, actions speak louder than words. And what were the actions I was doing each day?

Many years ago, I started studying the writings of Coach John Wooden, HOF basketball player and coach, 10 times NCAA champion coach and famous Hoosier. His definition of success: "Success is the peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming." became a guiding force in my leadership and parenting.

So when I recently started reading Ryan Hawk and Brook Cupps new book The SCORE That Matters, I couldn't help but imagine that Coach Wooden would not only appreciate this book but probably would have been honored to write the forward for it.

In this book Ryan and Brook focus on our Internal Scoreboards vs External Scoreboards. By this they mean, are you going to evaluate your success by the internal drivers vs the opinions of others on your performance. Throughout the book, the authors share stories from their own careers and break down the various components of how you build a Internal Scoreboard life.

At the end of each chapter, they include a Take Action section where they prescribe two exercises where you can take stock of how you can better define and take actions on the topic of that chapter. These are simple yet powerful exercises that allow you the opportunity to take a hard and honest look at yourself, your approaches and your success and see how you can move towards the Internal Scoreboard.

If you are a leader, want to be a leader, or are a parent, you NEED to read this book. Ryan and Brook can help you crystalize who you want to be and craft the focus on building the peace of mind that comes from doing the best YOU are capable of doing every day.

This book offers a fresh perspective on a fascinating topic. “The Score That Matters” helps readers unlock happiness in a unique way. Let me say that this guide is quite thought-provoking since it invites readers to reflect on their own lives and values. It often happens that human beings spend their lives asking themselves whether they are basing their personal experiences on their beliefs or acting in accordance with their values and purposes.

The narrative is absolutely catching and easy to follow, making it an agile read to be enjoyed at any time of the day. The exercises proposed in its pages provide the reader with an accompaniment so that they can put into practice everything they have learned.

This book offers a new perspective on success, focusing on living in alignment with one's values and purpose. I found the authors' challenge to traditional success like market share and social media followers insightful, as they often can leave us unfulfilled. Instead they advocate for prioritising the "internal score," which measures personal growth and leadership more effectively. The book provides practical strategies that are relatable, such as using fear as motivation, avoiding comparisons, and developing resilience. Overall, I think it's a thought-provoking guide for anyone seeking true fulfillment and a meaningful definition of success.

Ryan's delivered again.

It's rare to come across a podcaster, especially an interview podcaster, who is able to distill so much wisdom and independent thought into a book.

Easy to read and immediately useful. This was great!