NBA TV analyst Eric Snow shaping leaders

On the night of his book signing at Atlanta's Central Public Library, Eric Snow doesn't leave anything to chance. He shuffles his speech notes, which are meticulously printed out as if he stayed up all night figuring the right words to deliver. Checks with the audio guy to make sure the levels are to his liking, he even manages to squeeze in intimate conversations with Michigan State alums while preparing for the first stop on his book tour for Leading High Performers: The Ultimate Guide to Being a Fast, Fluid and Flexible Leader. Snow is running things with professional poise, much the way he did his entire NBA career. Poise and the ability to lead others, not necessarily his athletic talent, gave the second-round draft pick from Michigan State an illustrious 14-year NBA career and a comfortable life thereafter.

"In my career I wasn't the guy who was jumping as high as LeBron James, running as fast as Allen Iverson, but when people looked at me and spoke about me the common thread was leadership and that's why I decided to write this book," Snow said.

Snow, who wasn't highly lauded coming out of college and expected not to have an extensive life in the NBA, used his work ethic to carry him to an NBA Finals appearance with each team he played on (SuperSonics, Sixers and Cavaliers) and co-captain duties with King James. He now adds NBA TV analyst and budding author to his resume.

His book Leading High Performers is a compilation of inspirational quotes, messages and moments that Snow used throughout his career to help him excel personally and provide leadership to phenomenal players such as James, Iverson and even young buck Daniel Gibson, who eventually replaced Snow on the Cavaliers.

Each chapter is sprinkled with guest interviews from James, Tom Izzo, Larry Brown, Iverson and other greats with whom Snow has shared the sidelines.

At the book signing, Snow was asked "How does one go about leading a super-talented person like LeBron James, who has been the best at his craft his whole life?"

"It's all about gaining their trust and knowing that all these great players have this innate fear of failure and harnessing that," Snow said. "Also, you have to be able to lead by example."

Snow illustrates his blueprint for success with experiences such as being scolded as a freshman by coach Izzo for being late to a meeting, being a general in the huddle for Michigan State, and his dad's parting words of advice the day he left for college: "Son, work hard and keep your mouth shut."

Working hard and never complaining were personality elements that helped him find success. At Michigan State, he was named the Big Ten All-Defensive Player of the Year, and in the NBA, the pass-first defensive-minded guard landed on the 2002-03 All-Defensive Second Team and finished fifth in assists during the 2003-04 season.

"Lots of people talk about getting a lucky break on their road to success," Snow writes. "Many said that my 1998-99 season was my lucky break [when I joined up with Larry Brown]. But here's the truth on that: throughout my entire life, I've gotten where I've gotten based on Preparation + Hard Work + Opportunity = Success.

"If I had given up when I didn't make my high school's starting lineup all those years ago, I would most likely be working in corporate America and not in the NBA. If I'd quit during the 1998 NBA lockout, I wouldn't have been ready for the months remaining in that season. Being prepared is being proactive. Relying on talent is retroactive and may not be the smartest avenue."

As the book signing came to an end, Snow saw folks line up to pay good money for what used to be just the scribblings of an insightful young NBA player with too much alone time on the team plane. Snow, a rookie in the literary league, never really saw himself as an author and still maintains the humility that followed him throughout his career.

"My goal with this book is to inspire individuals and leave a legacy for my sons and family," Snow said. "If they were the only people I impacted and affected, that's all I need."

At the end of his work, Snow leaves readers with a message that would inspire anyone to play a full-court press for 48 minutes.

"You are already a winner," Snow writes. "You win every single day when you get out of bed. You win when you take a step toward your destiny. You win as you help others reach theirs. The world sets limits to what you can do. Now go prove the world wrong."