Today my lesson centers on a man who I believe was the best basketball coach – college or professional – to ever live:the great John Wooden.
For the most part, he was known as the “Wizard of Westwood,” the UCLA basketball coach who guided the Bruins to an unprecedented 10 national championships over two decades. But for those who played for him, he was more than a coach. He was a teacher, father figure, mentor and master motivator who got the most out of his players.
When I heard of his passing last June, my mind was flooded with many memories of that great man and the impact he had on so many people, including me. I also recalled memories and life lessons that I shared with him personally.
MAXWELL SHARES WHY WOODEN'S PYRAMID OF SUCCESS IS THE KEY TO A GOOD LIFE.
I spent time with Coach Wooden a few years ago at his modest home in Los Angeles, where he lived for over 30 years old. It would have taken several hours to read all the plaques, memorabilia and awards that adorned its walls.
For three weeks I prepared for our meeting and had my questions prepared. I came away from that day with stories that I will cherish for the rest of my life.
Creed for Life
I want to share with you the simple creed that Coach Wooden has kept in his wallet since his father gave it to him when he was 12 years old. The words on that tattered piece of paper have served as a lifelong guide to him:
Be honest with yourself.
Make each day your masterpiece. Help others. Drink deep in good books. Make friendship an art. Build a shelter against a rainy day. Pray for guidance and give thanks daily for your blessings.
Related: 27 John Wooden Quotes to Motivate You to Be Better
For 87 years, this creed has shaped the life of Coach Wooden. When I asked him how well he did in living each of these principles, he replied, “You know, John, we're never perfect. But every day, I always try to live up to the belief. ”
What a great lesson for all of us. Here is a man in his late 90s, at the peak of success, telling me that he always tries to live by these principles.
Most of you reading this are interested in winning and learning how you can advance in your own business. So let me share with you two things that helped set Coach Wooden apart from other coaches.
First, he had personal victories before he led his team to victory. When you look at the life of John Wooden, one of the things you quickly get away with is that he was really disciplined. Many people think that a leader's greatest challenge is to lead other people. I do not subscribe to this opinion. The greatest challenge as a leader is living the life of a leader. Listening to Coach Wooden that day, I wondered how he could bring such success to the teams he led? It was his victory over himself that enabled him to help others become victorious too.
Our standard of excellence and our code of conduct can be summed up by Coach's strategy Wooden to find happiness. He said happiness comes from making and keeping nine promises:
1. Promise yourself that you will talk about health, happiness and prosperity as often as possible.
2. Promise yourself to let all your friends know that they contain something special that you appreciate.
3. Promise to think only of the best, work only for the best, and expect only the best from yourself and others.
4. Promise to be as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
5. Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
6. Promise to forget past mistakes and pursue greater accomplishments in the future.
7. Promise to wear a cheerful appearance at all times and give everyone you meet a smile.
8. Promise to spend so much time improving yourself that you don't have time to criticize others.
9. Promise to be too big for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to allow trouble to rush you.
As leaders, if we haven't earned our personal battles, we can never lead other people to victories in their battles.
I truly believe that everything rises and falls under leadership. In my book The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork , I explain that the difference between two equally talented teams is leadership. When two teams come together, all things being equal – talent, experience, desire – the team with the better leader will always win. Coach Wooden has brought in some of the most talented people in the country, but talent will only get you so far. It was his superior leadership that made this talent one of the best teams ever. This is the second thing that sets him apart.
Coach Wooden was a master at selecting players and he knew how to motivate each person to fulfill their role on the team. Coach Wooden told me he signed a lot of average shooters. But he also knew that each player had a place on the ground where he shot best. He would design plays to get those players into the areas where they were shooting the best. If a player shot outside his designated area, he knew he would join Coach Wooden on the bench. Everyone had a role, and the majority of his players were in control of their roles in the team. Wooden said, “Teamwork is not a preference; it is a requirement. »
He took that mantra of teamwork to heart. One of Coach Wooden's words was, "If you listen to them, they'll listen to you." He told me it was a lesson he learned early in his coaching career. As a new coach, Wooden says he thought coaching meant pointing and directing players to where they needed to be on the pitch. Five or six years into his career, he realized he was leading by assumption. He assumed his players had the basics under their belts; he assumed they knew what was going on in a game. It was then that he learned that the only way to fill those gaps was to listen to his players. Once he found out where they were in their learning and basketball knowledge, he could direct them and give them direction.
I learned a lot from John Wooden that day at Los Angeles. The time we spent together will forever be etched in my mind. His words continue to touch lives around the world. And I don't say that about a lot of people, but after I left his home, I was like, "I want to be like him."
Hope you pick up some of these nuggets. wisdom and that you will look at yourself; I hope they have the same effect on you as they did on me.
Thank you, coach. Missing you.
Related: 17 Famous “Woodenisms” of Coach John Wooden
Editor's Note:This article was originally published in October 2011 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and completeness.
