john wooden leadership

 

Listen if you want to be heard. When you studied him from afar, there was a seriousness about him, but in a situation like that, he got a kick out of it and reacted with just the right touch. Few people have ever done that better, and it wasn’t some kind of front. The idea of seeing him face to face was intimidating. As a leader, one of your most sacred duties is to help your people reach their … Then C. Which coaches did he admire and why? A weak leader gives blame and accepts the credit. His number was listed in the phone book. I’m glad Steve didn’t let me miss that moment. by Steve Jamison. My first interaction with Coach was at the John Wooden day camp at Palisades High School. We walked in and Coach greeted Steve, then looked up and very politely said, “Who are you?” I said, “Hi, I’m Cori.” He stopped, looked at me and asked how I spelled my name. It is fruitful for everyone to understand his coaching philosophy and leadership style. We knew, even as kids, that what they had was special. Leadership Lessons from John Wooden. Study their principles, he said, but build your own. I’ll never forget one time, a few years after my mom passed, that he gave a speech at a hotel, and I went with him. From then on, I joked that he wouldn’t have invited me in if my name was spelled traditionally, C-o-r-e-y. Chapin had coauthored a 1973 Wooden bio called The Wizard of Westwood. So the alum had voiced disappointment with Wooden, yet it was Wooden's distinguished tenure that had created (and inflated) the alum's lofty expectations. Stick to your principles, make choices that are in line with your principles, and deal with the results.”. by Craig Impelman | Mar 13, 2016 | Blog | 0 comments. He is a motivational speaker and the author of Wooden’s Wisdom, a weekly “e-coaching module” that is distributed to companies nationally. This year's NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament marks the 40th anniversary of Wooden's final season, during which his UCLA squad won yet another title (with a 92-85 victory over Kentucky). He gave me an intimidating stare and said, “Why are you late?”. Still, Wooden relinquished any anger he held toward Chapin and opened up to the reporter prior to his final season. 7 John Wooden Quotes on Leadership to Make You a Better Manager John Wooden’s legend lives on long after his passing. He immediately invited me to his house for a few days. I needed to reach out to the very best people I could in all walks of life to see if I could come ask them some questions about how they became successful and how they maintained that success. Remember there are only five variables or players on the court. Nancy Wooden Muehlhausen is one of Wooden’s two children. A man I've admired for so long, Tony Hinkle of Butler, never got the recognition he deserved because his won-lost record wasn't that great. (Part 1) After Mother passed away, I became his escort to places, and we did a lot of things together. Ironically now that he has passed, I get asked to do events as his daughter, and people ask me for a picture. After practice one day, freshman guard Raymond Townsend was playfully taking half-court shots. Legendary basketball coach John Wooden had what he called an "MBA": a mop-and-bucket attitude. I went all the way through to Z—notebooks and notebooks full of wisdom. First, make certain that you always have better players than anybody that you play. To be successful year in and year out, you have to make everything make sense to a collection of people with very different personalities and talents. That produced calm. So when Kentucky established a six-point lead in the first half, Wooden replaced Johnson with seven-footer Ralph Drollinger. Your email address will not be published. Top 3 John Wooden Quotes. We once had a visitor who was part of a charity we supported. Make Greatness Available to Everyone. On this occasion, Wooden--64-years-old at the time--asked Townsend for the ball. It was a delightful time, but you could have saved LSU some money and yourself some time. Every day, current UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close walks by a wall that celebrates Wooden. About 6 p.m. Many of us, myself included, overthink things. I remember saying to myself, Can it really be that simple? John Wooden, legendary basketball coach, is well known and remembered for his short inspirational messages. Don't forget to have fun. Who was Coach John Wooden? He said, “The three things that I am going to tell you are fairly simple if you want to be successful. John Wooden was without a doubt one of the greatest coaches of all time, having ten national titles, seven in a row from 1966 to 1973, and a 205-5 mark over that span. The point is: Sustained success can distort levels of expectation. Minimal use of praises and reproofs. 1. "In previous years, Wooden might have ripped into Townsend for horsing around," Davis writes. I didn’t want to only speak to people in sports, so I decided to ask the very best in the worlds of entertainment, positive thinking and motivational speaking. “there are no big things, only a logical accumulation of little things done at a very high standard of … Powerful talk. The Ukleja Center for Ethical Leadership at California State University, Long Beach established the John Wooden Ethics in Leadership Award in 2009, with Wooden being the inaugural recipient. Measure yourself on the maximization of potential, not necessarily the bottom-line result, and... 4. Wooden took the opportunity to give a shout-out to another coach. Players on Wooden's final team tell tales of how their coach … In other words, it wasn't all roses and sunshine. --Coach John Wooden. You have little say over how big or how strong or how smart or rich someone else may be. This creed guided him through his life and contributed to his success as a coach. over his many years of coaching, he developed an extremely detailed system for molding young men into championship teams. As institute director, I had the great … A UCLA alum came up to him and said: "Congratulations, Coach. In his book, Davis points out that Wooden gradually honed his communicative efficiency over a long career. Photograph by Jimi Giannini . Read More . It's hard to keep things in perspective sometimes, but we ought to try. Marques Johnson, a star 6-foot-5 forward on the 1975 UCLA team, could ordinarily overcome taller players with his strength and quickness. Here are seven leadership and team-building lessons from that final season. Didn't say a word. I sometimes would ask how he would handle something I was dealing with and he would say, “I don’t want you to do it like me; I want you to find what works for you and do that.” Many of us want to find someone successful—mine was John Wooden—and try to copy that person. No matter how successful you become, you'll deal with critics and loudmouths. Kerven, I also made a blog post regarding the leadership of John Wooden in an earlier lesson. Sit back down, I am not tired. 2. Some might think this was “just a ball boy” position, but at UCLA it was important that everything was precise. The book corrected the long-held myth that Wooden had never had a losing season on any level. He’s watching me learn to be as patient as he was, and he’s got to be wondering why it took me so long to wise up. As Coach Wooden’s grandson-in-law, Craig Impelman had the opportunity to learn Coach’s teachings firsthand and wrote about those lessons for his site, www.woodenswisdom.com. There is nothing worse than activity that accomplishes nothing. He was a teacher, always ready to help someone. Always practice simplicity with constant repetition.”. The celebrity status bothered him in all ways, and he didn’t want to disgrace the sport of basketball. San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Chip Engelland is known as “the shot doctor,” a coach who works with players to develop and improve their mechanics. He never seemed to tire. Most coaches want to be known for their genius, for some strategy that changed the game. A decade ago, our Kravis Leadership Institute presented John Wooden with an award for outstanding leadership. This may be true of other people, but in my lifetime I’ve never met anyone like my dad in this way: If you were with my dad, then he was with you totally. I didn’t know who the guy was, but he said to me, “I’ve been married for 38 years because of what Coach Wooden taught me. His mind wasn’t thinking of other things. His methods in practice were "the result of a lifetime of small, almost unnoticeable advancements.". From the first time that I met him, I knew he would be my life’s most significant mentor. All told, they observed 30 hours of practices and coded 2,326 discrete acts of teaching. Wooden didn't scold--he just asked Johnson to borrow the cue stick. Johnson thought he was about to get scolded. We went to check in, and we had made the arrangement to have adjoining rooms. I am the man I am because of UCLA Basketball and what Coach Wooden taught me, and you now have this chance to shape young women. He said that was a huge mistake. Wooden exemplified both of these lessons shortly after winning the 1975 title. A good leader will motivate the team, take responsibility, promote a good work ethic, and perform various other roles in order to … My definition of poise is “calm under pressure,” and it was a big deal to Coach to think calmly when things were a little chaotic. Correspondence: Did he handle all of his correspondence? Never stop teaching, but keep it brief. Occasionally when time was short, he had it typed. It is going to be wonderful, and I have a really beautiful king-size room for you with a big king-size bed.” So I said, “Oops, hold on a minute. The man was John Vallely, starting guard on two of UCLA’s championship teams, who went on to play two years in the NBA. The far-reaching effect that John Wooden had on so many athletes, coaches, entertainers and leaders is an interesting look at the six degrees of separation that connect us all. I know I have nothing to compare it to, but it was pretty special having the daddy I had. That is a real talent. Don’t give your players too much information. Though Engelland grew up in California, he played college basketball at Duke University in North Carolina. the coach's … His seven-point creed is an excellent framework for great leadership even today. Consideration for Others: The Underrated Character Trait, 16 Questions to Measure Your Self-Control, On the Road to Success, There Are No Shortcuts. My source is Seth Davis's superb biography, Wooden: A Coach's Life. Little things make big things happen. When the light shines on you, deflect it to another who's deserving. He reminded me it was just not enough to have trophies and win championships; we have to shape others. Details, details, details. Coach in the News View all News . He found a way to make everyone feel comfortable in his presence. A few years later, I heard they were interviewing young people to be ball boys for the UCLA team. clearly he put a lot of work and thought into the system, but in the end i did not sense that this approach was very applicable to business world situations. Maybe the greatest lesson he taught me was the importance of always being gracious, because you never know who you have a chance to influence. During the last 12 years he was the head basketball coach at the University of California, Los Angeles, his teams won 10 national championships, including seven in a row. The remark upset Wooden, especially because the previous season was a great one. Be true to yourself. Posted on August 18, 2019 by Mike Reuter. That went on for nine straight years. John Wooden was the greatest coach of all time. You do have, at least you should have, control of yourself and the effort you give toward bringing out your best in whatever you’re doing. One aspect of Daddy’s life that not everyone got to experience was his sense of humor. One of the most profound things he taught me was how he made really complicated things very simple. Your hair couldn’t touch your ears; you had to wear a white shirt with blue corduroy pants or slacks. I don’t know when she is going to get over this.”. Photograph by Tom Casalini . Four of these championship teams posted undefeated seasons (1964, 1967, 1972, and 1973). The first day I arrived to his modest home at 8 in the morning. It may seem like nothing, but as Davis points out, it was actually a sign that Wooden didn't hold a grudge. I am sure you are tired, so I will see you tomorrow.”. This is a record that will most likely never be repeated. I will always remember that. Don’t let the peaks get too high and the valleys too low. "I deeply believed that the teacher and coach who has the ability to properly plan... from both the … The moment I was hired at LSU in March 1972, I immediately told myself, This is my first college head coaching job, and I can’t blow it. A leader’s greatness is found in bringing out … I’ve never been a big believer in finding a “silver bullet” that’s … So I went to the alphabet. All of life is peaks and valleys. His books, the copies of his Pyramid of Success that hang on walls around the world, the thousands of speeches he delivered, made him a “mentor” to many. But in the end I know that is exactly how he became the greatest coach of all time. He said, “Dale, I am really glad that we had a chance to bond. I’ve had the chance to be around some great coaches, and they all have this attention to detail in common. He was all ears to them, never impatient. Finally, don’t try and be some coaching genius or guru. Wooden passed away in 2010, 35 years removed from his last game on the sidelines. The first thing that he told me was: We should never mistake activity for achievement. His UCLA teams won 10 titles in a 12-year span (beginning in 1964, depicted above). He came out to my car and walked up to me. To do that, we should grasp who was John Wooden first, as it explains how his ideologies came about. Required fields are marked *. It also shined a light on a UCLA booster named Sam Gilbert. You'll win with star performers who've learned humility. The team made the Final Four before losing in double overtime to the North Carolina State squad that won the title. I know that somewhere up there, my daddy is laughing. 3. But no coach ever got more out of his players. – John Wooden. Of course he would have been that gracious no matter how my name was spelled, but that was one of my great early lessons from Coach Wooden: Find a way to connect to everyone. He said, “You are the first person I have ever met who spells your name like my great-granddaughter Cori.”. Although frequent and often in rapid-fire order, his utterances were so distinct we could code each one as a separate event. I have opened three successful businesses because of what he taught me. Moreover, prior to Wooden's arrival in 1948, UCLA's basketball teams weren't particularly distinguished. UCLA Head Basketball Coach John Wooden sits down to talk about leadership. And that legacy was not wins and losses, but potential fulfilled. Here are seven team-building tips from that historic season. I said, “Coach, my mom just had a baby.” It wasn’t true, but I had no idea what to say. It spread through leadership, business and personal development. 5. I tried to make every excuse that I could to avoid going. He really was interested in everybody. Did he have them, and if so were they to motivate or to instruct? Despite their brevity, his words were rich and deep in their wisdom. There were no lectures, no extended harangues. I’ll be cheering for you.”. I remember one time we were there, and a junior high school coach from some place in the Midwest called and came over. (Excerpt from Wooden on Leadership) Confidence There is no stronger steel than well-founded belief in yourself; the knowledge that your preparation is fully complete and that you are ready for the competition. I saw how he greeted people in restaurants, how humble he was. Wooden treated that guy with such dignity, asking so many questions and complimenting him to reinforce a lot of the things the coach was doing. At the age of 96, living in Encino, California and making 20 to 30 speeches a year, former UCLA coach John Wooden still keeps in touch with more … “That’s the best excuse I have ever heard. It utilizes coach Wooden's own Pyramid of Success as its foundation. Wooden on Leadership explains step-by-step how he pursued and accomplished this goal. Sometimes I’d bring what I thought were problems to him and he’d ask a couple of simple questions, and then ask me, “What are you committed to? The John Wooden Leadership Fellowship awards up to four $35,000 fellowships. He told me he answered every letter that he received if he knew who it was from, and most of the time by hand. Call yourself a teacher. The John R. Wooden Leadership Institute is a vehicle to help young people grow and develop the tools to become tomorrow's leaders. There are so many ways Coach Wooden impacted who I am today and who I will be tomorrow. He was a master teacher and mentor to so many of us. Another thing I watched and learned from him was poise. If you look at Bill Walton and the Spurs: Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and David Robinson are all strong individuals with strong individual beliefs, but they knew when to put those beliefs aside for the good of the team. Then I went to B. I asked about bulletin boards. On the third day, my parents were running late dropping me off. 66 John R. Wooden, Stephen R. Covey and Servant Leadership: A Commentary identified a group of coaches who were “almost” as effective as the servant leaders in promoting satisfaction, motivation, and mental toughness in athletes. But he wanted to be known for keeping it simple. Rather than fume, Johnson cheered. Don’t spend your life trying to be someone else. Purdue student-athletes attend classes and seminars as they focus on each of the strategic building blocks that Wooden thought so valuable. I will never show it to anyone else, but the way he expressed his love for my mother was incredible. It presents the core concepts, methods, and beliefs that Wooden used to teach his teams how to attain Competitive Greatness, and true personal success. What a lesson. I have conquered cancer three times because of what he taught me. I took notes like a madman because I didn’t bring a tape recorder; I thought it would be rude. I turned a corner, and I ran right into Coach Wooden. What does he consider achievement? Your email address will not be published. Prior to the 1975 season, Wooden allowed Los Angeles Times reporter Dwight Chapin to join him on his daily five-mile walk on UCLA's track. So I said, “Coach, I have taken enough of your time. We like to read about and study people who generate this type of success. 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