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Tony Dungy Book Report

Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, & Priorities of a Winning Life

Author: Tony Dungy

A Book Report

Michael Fors

BUS 625/626 • Dr. David Bess

The book I chose was Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, & Priorities of a Winning Life, by Tony Dungy. This is more than an autobiography of the life of Tony Dungy, the coach of the 2006 Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts. Woven throughout his life story are the principles, practices, and priorities of a life that is able to lead others towards positive change, not by focusing on success, but by focusing on building up men by focusing on character, respect and integrity.

Not only am I a fan of NFL football but more so I’m a fan of strong, effectual leaders. Sure I really enjoy the big plays, the big hits, and the long bomb in the last seconds of the game that scores the winning touchdown. Most of all, though, I admire the leadership principles that pervade the sport. You’ll hear these principles touted in many of the interviews with the best coaches and players throughout the league.

Tony Dungy made a name for himself around the league for being a coach that could come in and turn an entire NFL franchise around. When he took over as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers they were one of the worst teams in football; when he left they were Super Bowl contenders. When he took over the Indianapolis Colts he took them all the way to the Super Bowl in 2006 and won. After that Super Bowl I took a special interest in this remarkable coach. I wanted to know what made him a strong leader who could lead men like this at such a high level. Moreover, I wanted to know his secret to being a strong force for change among men of this caliber.

This book is rich with real world examples of several leadership concepts and provides a practical model of how to bring about change in an organization. In the next few pages I’ll detail the character qualities Tony Dungy demonstrated,...