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Hard work in which you are completely focused, engaged and absorbed
Adversity is Your Asset
You can't give up because you are at a disadvantage. You must be able to play the hand you are dealt. By working hard through adversity, your results will be much more valuable.
When overflow crowds forced UCLA out of their home stadium, the players had to work harder through the disruptions and distractions of traveling. In the end, the extra work they put in made them more conditioned to play opposing teams a their home courts.
"There is no
trick, no easy way to accomplish the difficult task, no
substitute for old-fashioned work. Without it crops aren’t planted,
corn won’t grow, hay isn’t harvested. You perish."
Sharing both camaraderie and respect without playing favorites
Good values attract good people
By being respectful and creating a positive overall team spirit with those you are leading, you will attract a team that appreciates and shares your values.
In Wooden's early years of coaching, he picked up extra money playing with semi-pro teams. One of the teams he played for had an owner that was disrespectful. He left that team, claiming he could not play for such a person and instead went to play for a team whose owner had good character and respect for him.
"To make a friend,
be a friend"
Loyalty to yourself - your standards and values - as well as loyalty to those you lead
Make greatness attainable by all
By remaining loyal to each member of your team and giving them all an equal opportunity to achieve greatness
During all of Coach Wooden's career, he did not play favorites. He doesn't believe that any player can be "the greatest," because greatness can only be measured by one's own potential. Wooden's loyalty to each of his team members allowed them each to unlock their own potential and achieve their own definition of greatness.
“First, do not betray yourself.
Second, do not betray those you lead.
This is Loyalty.
Listening to others and embracing differing opinions. More concerned with WHAT is right rather than WHO is right.
It takes 10 hands to score a basket
In order to be successful as a team, everyone must cooperate. Everyone has to contribute their own perspective and unique effort.
On the first day of each new season, 15 players along with assistant coaches, the manager, trainer and Coach Wooden would gather for their official team picture. No individual on the team got special treatment or more space in the picture because of talent,
seniority, past contributions, press clippings, race, or religion. Every person on the team was an equal part of the team and they each played a unique role that made them successful as a cohesive unit.
"Progress is difficult when you
won’t listen."
You must be full of energy and eagerness, joy and love for what you do. If you lack Enthusiasm for your job, you cannot perform to the best of your ability.
Make each day your masterpiece
In order to give your best everyday, you must start with a positive attitude. Every great quarter starts with a great minute.
One of Coach Wooden's lessons he learned growing up was that you must always make the most of the time you are given. He used this lesson in his coaching career by expecting his players to show up on time, prepared, and with a positive attitude to get the most out of their practice.
"Work without joy is drudgery."
You must be able to control yourself in order to control an organization. You must control your emotions and resist the easy choice, the expedient solution, and other temptations.
Emotion is your Enemy
In order to be successful, you must possess the self-control to manage your emotions. If you do not, your emotions will manage you and your team will be unpredictable and undependable as a result.
In Wooden's coaching career, he maintained the notion that in order to stay consistent, you must practice self-control. Further, he didn't allow any of his players to participate in behavior that showed a lack of self-control. The best way he was able to teach self-control was to lead by example.
"To be a true
leader requires credibility and consistency in one’s actions, and this
is hard to achieve when you lack Self-Control."
the ability to be constantly observing, absorbing, and learning from what’s going on around you in order to continuously improve.
Little things make big things happen
You must stay alert to every little thing that is going on around you in order to continuously improve. Details are important. With discipline and practice, you can improve little by little each day.
During Coach Wooden's first team meeting, the first thing he did was show his players how to put their socks on correctly. From here, he worked "feet up." He taught his players that attention to detail matters.
"Leaders who prevail in the competitive environment are most often those who see things coming when their counterparts aren’t even looking."
The courage to make decisions, to act, and the willingness and strength to risk failure and take a stand even when it goes against the opinion of others
Seek significant change
Don't be afraid to fail, because failure is not fatal. The only failure that will hurt you in the long run is failure to change. By taking the initiative to act and react, you will be able to see real change happen.
One mistake that Coach Wooden made in his coaching career was benching one of the starters to give the sixth or seventh man more playing time which ended up hurting the team. Wooden learned from this, and took the initiative to change his approach in a way that would benefit the team as a whole.
"Don’t live in
fear of making a mistake."
diligence and determination, fortitude and resolve— persistence. When intentness exists in you, it also exists in your organization.
Adversity is your asset
There are always opportunities in failure. Use your adversity to persevere and become determined to be the best you can be in spite of all the setbacks you may face.
Coach Wooden practiced intentness for 28 years of coaching at the high school and college level by doing his best to help others do their best. In his 29th year, his intentness paid off when UCLA won the national championship.
"Intentness keeps you in the game even when others tell you the game is over. The game is over only when the
leader declares it so."
Practicing mental and moral strength in addition to physical strength
Make each day your masterpiece
Make the most of everyday by finding a balance in each aspect of your life. Give your best effort in each aspect, and overall you will find both success and personal fulfillment.
In Coach Wooden's life, he tried really hard to keep his coaching job from taking over other areas of his life, like his family and friends. To be a good leader, he had to seek balance in his life. By working 24/7, you ultimately hurt your performance in all areas, which in turn will hurt your team.
"Practice moderation and balance in all
that you do. This advice, easy to remember, is also very effective."
The heart of the pyramid. You must know what you are doing and be able to execute quickly and correctly.
Call yourself a teacher
By being a mentor to your team, you can teach them the valuable skills they need in order to succeed as individuals and ultimately as a cohesive unit.
Coach Wooden used to smoke cigarettes when he coached high school. He realized he was setting a bad example and so he quit. He felt like his example meant way more than his words did. In the same way, he used this idea of "demonstration" to mentor his teams and give them the skills they needed to succeed.
"The best leaders are lifelong learners; they take measures to create organizations that foster and inspire learning throughout. The most effective leaders are those who realize it’s what you learn after you know it all that counts most."
An eagerness to sacrifice personal interests for the welfare of all. Team spirit creates organizations whose members are totally committed to working at their highest levels for the good of the group.
Use the most powerful four-letter word
You must have love in your heart for those you are leading. If you show love for others, they will reciprocate and it will create an overall feeling of team spirit within the organization. They will be more willing to make personal sacrifices for the good of the team.
Before a game in 1950, the captain on Coach Wooden's team found out that his wife was very sick. Though the player felt as though it would be disloyal to the team if he did not attend, Coach Wooden understood that his place was at home with his wife and did not allow him to attend the game. He did this because he had love in his heart for the players and thus created an atmosphere of mutual respect and team spirit.
"Team Spirit has the potential to increase the productivity of your
organization exponentially: Your team becomes greater than the
sum of its players."
Being true to oneself, not getting rattled, thrown
off, or unbalanced regardless of the circumstance or situation
Emotion is your enemy
When something outside of your control happens, it is easy to become thrown off and panic. However, to be a good leader you must be able to stay poised and steadfast in your beliefs to remain balanced and avoid panicking under pressure.
Part of Wooden's coaching philosophy was to remain poised throughout the entirety of the game. Whether something good or outrageously bad occurred, Coach Wooden did not make much of a reaction. This ability to control his emotions allowed him to remain true to himself and his coaching philosophies without getting thrown off by outside situations.
"How do you acquire Poise? In fact, you don’t. Poise acquires you."
The knowledge that your preparation is complete, that you have done all
things possible to ready yourself and your organization for the competition
Don't look at the scoreboard
Don't worry about managing short-term results. If you prepare fully and work hard, you will achieve results. Don't compare your own preparation and potential with your opponent's. Focus on your own goals and remain confident that you have done what it takes to be successful.
Coach Wooden's approach to coaching was to prepare for each opponent with the same intensity and respect regardless of how good of a team they were. His concentration was not on the opponent, but rather on improving his own system to the best level possible. In doing this, Coach Wooden and the team were able to be confident in their abilities regardless of what team they were playing.
"Confidence cannot be grafted on artificially. Real abiding Confidence, like Poise, is earned only by tenaciously pursuing and at training those assets that allow you to reach your own level of competency—the potential you have within."
A real love for the hard battle, knowing it offers the opportunity to be at your best when your best
is required
Little things make big things happen
By identifying and perfecting seemingly trivial details, you can continuously improve as a team and come one step closer to achieving competitive greatness.
One player that surprised Coach Wooden in achieving competitive greatness was Doug McIntosh. He showed little promise as a freshman, but helped defeat Duke in UCLA's first national championship. Doug's determination helped him achieve competitive greatness and allowed him to perform at his best when it was required of him.
"Competitive Greatness is not defined by victory nor denied by
defeat. It exists in the effort that precedes those two “impostors” as
well as their accomplices: fame, fortune, and power—measurements
of success I rejected long ago."