When Coach Wooden spoke to the UCLA Coaching Development Program in 2002 regarding his views on leadership, he shared some insights from Wilferd Peterson's essay on "The Art of Leadership" from his book The art of living :
Related: John Wooden's Legacy of Leadership
Simply and clearly defined, a leader is a man who has followers. The leader deserves to have followers. He won recognition. Authority alone is no longer enough to command respect.
The leader is a servant. As the Master of Men said, “And whoever would be chief among you, let him be your servant”.
The leader sees through the eyes of his followers.
The leader doesn't say, "Go ahead!" Instead, he says, "Let's go!" and leads the way. He doesn't walk with a whip; he is in front with a banner.
The leader assumes his followers are working with him, not for him. He sees that they share the rewards. It glorifies team spirit.
The leader is a builder. The more men he can build, the stronger the organization will be, including himself.
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The leader trusts people. He believes in them, trusts them and thus gets the best out of them.
The leader uses his heart as well as his head. After looking at the facts with his head, he lets his heart take a look too. He's a friend.
The leader plans and sets things in motion. He is a man of action as well as a man of thought.
The leader has a sense of humor. This is not a plush shirt. He can laugh at himself. He has a humble spirit.
The leader can be directed. He is not interested in having his own way, but in finding the best way. He has an open mind.
The leader keeps his eyes on high goals. He strives to make the efforts of his followers and himself contribute to the enrichment of character, the realization of a more abundant life for all, and the betterment of all.
In his book Practical Modern Basketball , Coach Wooden summed up his thoughts this way:
“The coach who makes a sincere and determined effort to follow the ideas and ideals of leadership that I learned from Mr. Peterson's dissertation is certain to 'improve leadership skills and increase a team's chances of success.
“A team without leadership is like a rudderless ship that is certain to wander aimlessly and will likely turn in circles and won't get anywhere.
“Of course the coach has to know the game and know his players to be able to provide good leadership, but he has to achieve, welcome and take full responsibility. »
Related: How to set a good example
