Review: BOYS IN THE BOAT by Daniel James Brown is the story how a group of boys from Washington State went on to win the 1936 Berlin Olympics against all odds.

It’s a fantastic story, but even more important, it will teach you the essence of building a winning team. In this way, it’s one of the best business books ever written.

Here are 10 lessons on teamwork learned from Boys in the Boat:

Lesson 1: It’s not the abilities of the individual members that count but how the team works together.

Lesson 2: Teams that overcome obstacles together bond together.

Lesson 3: Focus, focus, focus.

Lesson 4: Allow the team to manage itself.

Lesson 5: Great teams must discover their own unique strategies for winning.

Lesson 6: Hold each team member accountable.

Lesson 7: There’s no substitute for hard work.

Lesson 8: Everyone on the team must be aligned.

Lesson 9: Each team member must put the team above any personal gain.

Lesson 10: For a team to perform beyond the sum of every individual, everyone on the team must synchronize to the point where they lose their own self identify.

Rating: ★★★★