Wooden on Leadership

Wooden on Leadership by John Wooden and Steve Jamison

John Wooden was one of the greatest sport coaches of all time.  Although he logged his time in college basketball, I am convinced that Coach Wooden would have been just as successful in any other sport - or business for that matter.

I have been aware of Coach Wooden since the late Sixties and the legendary UCLA championship teams that produced Lew Alcindor and Bill Walton.  But I think it has only been in the last ten or fifteen years that I had become aware of his sport transcending abilities as a leader.  When I heard about this book I thought, oh, another leadership book.  How many different ways can you talk about leadership?  But this was Coach Wooden.  So I got the book.  I'm glad I did.

Coach Wooden's book is a story.  It is not a how to manual.  Set me up at a campfire in comfortable chairs with the Coach and, other than family, the ends of my wants would end right there.  And when you read this book, you feel like it's just you and the coach and his masterful ability to tell a story.

Coach Wooden created a Pyramid of Success using building blocks labeled with personal qualities and values that he believed were essential for a person to obtain their own level if individual excellence.  Here are the Pyramid's foundational blocks:

• Industriousness
• Friendship
• Loyalty
• Cooperation
• Enthusiasm

The coach describes each value in depth and goes onto provide chapters devoted to lessons in leadership.  Here are a few chapter titles:

• Good Values Attract Good People
• Call Yourself a Teacher
• Little Things Make Big Things Happen
• Seek Significant Change
• Don't Look at the Scoreboard

At the end of each chapter former players tell stories about the Coach reinforcing these personal qualities.  This is a nice touch.

Coach Wooden was known for keeping detailed and fastidious notes throughout his career.  He shares many pages from his notebooks in Wooden on Leadership.

John Wooden inspires me with how he treats people, his careful attention to preparation and his note taking penchant.  If you are a non basketball enthusiast you need to have a copy of this book.  If you are a basketball enthusiast you should already have one.

Comments

[Debra Estep]

Hey Davie,

I have you and our little bro to thank for my interest in sports...
Well, it was either pick up the glove and play, or be left out. LOL

I will have to admit that when I watch any type of sports,
I always try to see the game within the game.

The game within the game is about
personal interaction among people.

After reading your post, I decided to
blog search about Coach Wooden.
From one site I came upon this gem
of a quote....

Coach Wooden, “The star of the team is the team.”

I imagine the life lessons learned by the many
players he coached, far outweighed the
game of basketball in the lives on his
players.

xo xo
Deb

I also snagged this list of John Wooden
one liners to share:
http://tinyurl.com/2ylkyp

There are no shortcuts
Always be progressing
Give it away to get it back
If you wish to be heard, listen
Laugh with others, never at them
Never mistake activity for achievement
Nothing is stronger than gentleness
Persistence is stronger than failure
There is no substitute for hard work
We get stronger when we test ourselves
Happiness begins where selfishness ends
You are more influential than you think
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail
Discipline yourself and others won't need to
Learn from the past, dont live in the past
Fear no opponent but respect every opponent
Hard work is the difference. Very hard work
Take what's available and make the most of it
You never fail if you know you did your best
When you are through learning, you are through
What is right is more important than who is right
The time to make friends is before you need them
The worthy opponent brings out the very best in you
There is a price to be paid for achieving anything
You can do more good by being good than any other way
The difficult challenge provides the best opportunity
Once the opportunity arises, its too late to prepare
Greatness is being your best when your best is needed
Being a role model is the most powerful form of educating
The smallest good deed is better than the best intention
Be more concerned with your character than your reputation
Tell the truth, that way you dont have to remember a story
Everybody has a suggestion, not everybody has a decision
For every artificial peak you create, there is a valley
Be interested in finding the best way, not in having your own way
Time spent getting even would be better spent trying to get ahead
Being average means you're as close to the bottom as you are to the top
Ability can get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there
You can't control what happens to you, but you can control how you react
Much can be accomplished when no one is concerned about who gets the credit
Spend too much time learning tricks of the trade and you may never learn the trade

[dave]

Thanks Deb! This is an excellent example of adding value via comments to a post.