I have a pronounced dislike of management speak and the motivation industry. This book was different. It was referenced to a great sporting feat, one entirely against the odds. Ben Hunt-Davis’s crew was written off as an Olympic Gold Medal prospect. They took themselves off into a metaphorical corner and worked it out for themselves with, pre-Olympics, under-regarded coaches. What Ben and his crew did was the ‘how to’ of application, self-belief and team focus. I defy anyone not to learn from this book. It is attractively anecdotal and entirely to the point. This is one to learn from, from teenage to dotage.

I read this book because I've worked with Ben, a brilliant rower and now business coach, having hired him to do a number of sessions with our leadership team at work. The book is a brilliant summary of Ben's key lessons, and generously presented - nothing is held back from Ben's teachings, except the element of personalisation. A really good read for anyone who wants to make their team or organisation better.