Coach John Wooden was organized with his details. He believed that ‘big things are accomplished only through the perfection of minor details.’| Coach John Wooden
Take it as a compliment to be criticized. Respond verbally in a positive manner and make your best effort not to repeat the same mistake.| Coach John Wooden
Coach Wooden limited his scouting of opponents to a basic understanding of the strategy they might employ. Preparation? Coach commented on this perspective: “One of my players, a very interesting person—some of you I’m sure have heard of Bill Walton—once said we had to send a manager, when we were dressing for a game, to […]| Coach John Wooden
Do what’s right because it’s the right thing to do. As a college coach, being a successful recruiter is critical if you want to keep your job. In 1983, I was an assistant coach at UCLA to Larry Farmer. I was excited as I sat in Coach Wooden’s old office with Coach Wooden as he […]| Coach John Wooden
Coach Wooden was consistent about a lot of things, including: Being on time Being open-minded Being a great listener Constantly trying new things Trying to improve Meticulous preparation Attention to detail that was coupled with careful planning Admitting his mistakes Being humble Not being judgmental Using the same words repetitively to teach fundamentals Always starting […]| Coach John Wooden
Coach Wooden did not like this picture. “I didn’t win all these trophies,” he said. “I just played a small part.” Coach did not view recognition as any sort of reward for the leadership he was interested in. In his book The Essential Wooden with Steve Jamison, Coach described what he enjoyed about being a […]| Coach John Wooden
In the workplace, a supervisor sometimes criticizes an employee and walks away thinking they have just helped that employee improve. The reality is they have left an employee upset, feels picked on and is less productive. The ability to create an environment in which a coach can be critical, without reducing the productivity or the […]| Coach John Wooden
In John Wooden’s first 17 seasons at UCLA, his teams appeared in the NCAA Tournament five times and posted a record of three wins and nine losses. Bill Gates‘ first company, Traf-O-Data (a device which could read traffic tapes and process the data), failed miserably. When Gates and his partner, Paul Allen, tried to sell […]| Coach John Wooden
Let us overcome the angry man with gentleness, the evil man with goodness, the miser with generosity, the liar with truth. In his book, Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success with Jay Carty, Coach describes one of his first lessons about the power of overcoming anger with gentleness: “When I was a young boy, I was […]| Coach John Wooden
Keep a cheerful, optimistic disposition. Think positively rather than negatively. Sincere optimism builds confidence and courage. It was a gloomy practice floor in Malibu, California, at Pepperdine’s Firestone Fieldhouse on Jan. 28, 1980. I was in my first year as an assistant coach with first-year head coach Jim Harrick. After a promising preseason, including wins […]| Coach John Wooden
With The Pyramid of Success, Coach John Wooden taught the world that integrity and character are the cornerstones of success.| Coach John Wooden
