Jim Craig - Gold Medal Strategies

Praise for Gold Medal Strategies

Gold Medal Strategies, like Jim Craig, is a true winner! Jim's successful Olympic and professional hockey career has put him in position to help companies produce gold medal teams. The book is perfect for our organizationa must read.

DAVID MASON, CEO, HEALTH CONNECT PARTNERS, INC.

Gold Medal Strategies is a must read for any manager looking to build, develop, and energize a high-performance team for execution. Jim's pragmatic, straightforward approach has application for even the most seasoned executive!

DON COLLERAN, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL SALES, FEDEX

Gold Medal Strategies is just what your sales team needs: firsthand insights on how teamwork, the value of preparation, goal setting, and developing a winning underdog attitude can positively impact the success of your company.

JACK LAURENDEAU, VICE CHAIRMAN, ACOSTA SALES & MARKETING

No one assimilates winning in business and sports quite like Jim Craig; his focus on goal achievement is easily related to and implemented, whether you are going for a gold medal or a victory in todays market. Gold Medal Strategies does it all.

TONY MEOLA, CEO, SAXON

Jim Craigs critical role in the Miracle on Ice in 1980 was the epitome of peak performance. Now he combines that experience with everything he has learned in business and in life over the past 30 years into another winning achievement. Gold Medal Strategies should be read by anyone who has a team.

DAVE OGREAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, USA HOCKEY

There are no better lessons than those we learn from life, and no better example of that than Jim Craig and the Miracle on Ice. Gold Medal Strategies fits all ages, and everyone learns from it.

BERNIE SWAIN, FOUNDER, WASHINGTON SPEAKERS BUREAU

For years, Jim has seamlessly tied USAs 1980 Miracle on Ice success into smart business lessons in all of his corporate speeches. Gold Medal Strategies is no different. It is a business strategy must-read book.

DAVID SCHWAB, VICE PRESIDENT, MANAGING DIRECTOR, OCTAGON}

I have had the good fortune of watching Jim Craig reshape the attitude of a national sales force in just over an hour by weaving the parallel threads of business performance and hockey performance. Now his book Gold Medal Strategies: Business Lessons from Americas Miracle Team gives anyone interested in lighting a fire under the organization a chance to see how its done. Jim transfers the energy and entertainment of his personal appearances into the written word. I have seen the energizing effect he can have on a crowd, and those feelings of positive intent came back as I read through the book.

STEVEN ROBINS, PRESIDENT, BAUSCH & LOMB VISION CARE NORTH AMERICA

On a long-ago Friday night, Jim Craig stood between the pipes of a little hockey rink in Lake Placid, New York, and delivered arguably the greatest performance under pressure in the annals of the Olympic Games, turning away 39 Soviet shots and forever redefining the parameters of athletic possibility. In these pages, Craig is no less on top of his game, offering page after page of profound insights and innovative strategies, showing us that winning in business and in life has a whole lot in common with achieving an Olympic miracle. It is a splendid piece of work.

WAYNE COFFEY, AUTHOR

Jim Craig provides inspiration and a playbook to create winning teams, from sports to business to elite military units. What makes his message unique is that it optimizes the talent and motivates the people to overcome any situation.

MICHAEL MINOGUE, UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY AT WEST POINT GRADUATE; U.S. ARMY PLATOON LEADER, DESERT STORM

Jim Craigs story and his message are both inspiring and educational. Jim addresses what is really important to achieve success. Creating a bold vision, holding fast to your convictions, moving forward with courage, having a passion and drive to succeed, silencing the naysayers, and achieving the missionwhatever it takes is what Jim teaches us in Gold Medal Strategies . It is a must read for all who want to achieve a gold medal in life.

GARY CHARTRAND, EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, ACOSTA SALES AND MARKETING COMPANY

The winning underdog attitude is engaging and provides a strategic advantage: never underestimate the competition. In Gold Medal Strategies , Jim Craig incorporates strategies into a motivating presentation that encompasses winninga subject he is very familiar with!

ROBERT DELUCA, SANOFI-AVENTIS}

Winning an Olympic gold medal was only the beginning of Jim Craigs journey to create a legacy and achieve victory in whatever he set out to accomplish. In his book, Jim shares with the reader his lifetime experiences and inspires others to look introspectively and pay it forward for the benefit of future generations.

TONY PINSONAULT, MANAGING PARTNER, PINSONAULT ASSOCIATES, LLC

Jim Craig not only provides extraordinary insights (gleaned from his extraordinary life), but he has served as an inspiration to me and all my executives to go for the gold. Jim has contributed significantly to the success of my business. With this book he can spread his valuable advice to a larger audience.

IRA D. RIKLIS, PRESIDENT, SUTHERLAND CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.

Jim Craig is an amazing American sports icon who will forever be remembered for his role as a member of the 1980 U.S. mens Olympic gold medal hockey team. In his book Gold Medal Strategies: Business Lessons from Americas Miracle Team , Craig manages to capture the spirit of his sports experiences and to represent them in a context that is entertaining, riveting, and beneficial for all who are tasked with leading and inspiring teams. It is a quick read, well worth the time.

DENNIS R. MAPLE, PRESIDENT, ARAMARK EDUCATION, ARAMARK CORPORATION

Honeywell has brought Jim Craig in to speak at two of its corporate meetings. He did a standout job each time, not only inspiring and entertaining, but also teaching how the elements of teamwork that enabled the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team to be a world-beater and perform optimally can be practiced by Honeywell to continually improve and outperform the competition. In Gold Medal Strategies: Business Lessons from Americas Miracle Team , you will find the lessons that Jim spoke about and taught when he addressed Honeywell, and more. The book is an immensely educational, motivating, fun, and valuable read.

JOE PUISHYS, PRESIDENT, HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL, ENVIRONMENTAL & COMBUSTION CONTROLS

Copyright 2011 by Jim Craig and Don Yaeger. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com . Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions .

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.