PART IV
REFLECTIONS ON LEADERSHIP
50 MAXIMS AND OBSERVATIONS ON LEADERSHIP
Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to stay there.
Leaders often change when success arrives. Some begin to believe that what got them to the top is enough to stay there. It isn’t. Complacency is a character issue.
When you’re through learning, you’re through.
Learning is a leader’s lifetime pursuit. You must never reach the point of self-delusion that suggests you know it all. Remind yourself, “It’s what I learn after I know it all that counts.” It’s the truth.
The journey is better than the inn.
Cervantes, with those words, sums up my perspective on trophies, championships, and other “rewards”; namely, they are secondary—a by-product of the journey itself, the process of striving for personal greatness. For me, a victory on the court—“being better than someone else”—can be satisfying. What precedes it, however, can bring joy and the greatest self-satisfaction. The joys of the journey exceed the comforts of the inn.
If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not doing anything.
Coach “Piggy” Lambert told me at Purdue University, “The team that makes the most mistakes probably wins.” The doer makes mistakes. However, be sure your mistakes are not the result of poor preparation or sloppy execution. Winners make the right kind of mistakes.
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Do not let what you can’t do interfere with what you can do.
When you allow yourself to get caught up in things over which you have no control, it affects those things over which you do have control. Time is limited. Focus on that which you can improve, correct, or change. Ignore what you can’t control.
Failure to act is often the biggest failure of all.
“Tentative” is a word I do not associate with Competitive Greatness. The leader who is afraid to face failure will seldom face Success. You must have the courage to make a decision and then execute expeditiously.
Little things make big things happen.
Success is built from the ground up. I showed players how to put their sweat socks on correctly. Small things—laughable to some—are connected to big things such as a national championship. The particulars may differ for you and your team, but success is built from the bottom up.
The best way to improve the team is to improve yourself.
We become so intent on improving the performance level of others that we neglect our own shortcomings. Honest self-evaluation is the first and often most difficult step in a leader’s own improvement.
You are not a failure until you start blaming others for your mistakes.
Time spent complaining is time wasted. The leader is responsible for the team’s performance. The moment you seek to set responsibility on the doorstep of another, you have deluded yourself. Self-delusion is self-destruction.
The force of character is cumulative.
Those words by Ralph Waldo Emerson can be put this way: “Birds of a feather flock together.” A leader with character attracts people with character. They become a team that is formidable under fire.
“For maximum team accomplishment, each individual must prepare himself to the best of his ability and then put his talent to work for the team. This must be done unselfishly, without thought of personal glory. When no one worries about who will receive the credit, far more can be accomplished in any group activity.” |
—PRESEASON LETTER TO THE TEAM, 1964 |
The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.
I’m asked, “Coach Wooden, how did you win all those championships?” My response is factual: “I didn’t win all those championships. Our team did.” In 27 years at UCLA, I didn’t score a single basket. My job was to help others do it. The star of the team is your team.
Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.
Care, concern, and a sincere consideration for those in your organization is the mark of a strong leader. These traits do not make you appear weak, soft, or vulnerable. On the contrary, they are perceived by those you lead as a sign of self-confidence. Be confident enough to care. And to show it.
Don’t mistake activity for achievement.
To produce results, tasks must be well organized and properly executed; otherwise, it’s no different from children running around the playground—everybody is doing something, but nothing is being done; lots of activity, no achievement.
Discipline yourself and others won’t need to.
Some leaders find it easier to enforce rules and regulations on others than on themselves. How can you control your team if you can’t control yourself? A team with discipline begins with a well-disciplined leader. I’ve never seen it work the opposite way.
“Love” is the greatest word in the English language. “Balance” is the second-greatest word.
Body balance is crucial for a basketball player. Emotional balance is crucial for everyone. Balance in life is necessary for optimal performance in leadership. 24/7 is necessary on occasion, but as a way of life, it means you’re out of balance. Someone or something that is out of balance is likely to fall over and break.
“I must caution you that you cannot live in the past. The 1971–72 season is now history, and we must look toward the future. The past cannot change what is to come. The work that you do each and every day is the only true way to improve and prepare yourself for what is to come. You cannot change the past, but you can influence the future by what you do today.” |
—PRESEASON LETTER TO THE TEAM, 1972 |
A leader has one team, not “starters” and “substitutes.”
I tried hard to avoid cliques or any kind of caste system at UCLA. If a starter referred to a nonstarter as a “sub,” he’d be on the bench. The “sub” would have his job while the starter learned his lesson. Favoritism is fatal.
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
My definition of success states that you must make the utmost effort to bring forth your talent. This is how you prepare to win. Do otherwise and you are simply preparing to fail.
If you have done your job in preparing the team, the team is prepared to do its job in playing the game. So let them.
I honestly felt that if I’d been successful in my teaching at practice during the week, I could watch the game from the stands on Saturday and the players would do just fine. Teach your team what to do, and then let them do it.
Be quick, but don’t hurry.
Expect hustle from those under your supervision, but caution them not to expedite at a pace that increases the chance of errors. I prize quickness in execution of tasks, but not a pace so hurried that mistakes are likely.
No written word nor spoken plea can teach your team what it should be.
The most effective teaching tool is the power of your example—for better or worse. A leader who exhibits hustle, efficiency, fairness, courage, skill, and other positive characteristics will see that reflected in the organization. Of course, some of those on the team won’t reflect these things. You must then do the right thing: help them find another team.
Perfection of relevant details is silly to some, but it’s not funny to me.
Races are won by a fraction of a second; national championship games by a single point. That fraction of a second or single point is the result of relevant details perfected along the way. Leave nothing to chance. The difference between the championship team and a merely good team is the perfection and execution of relevant details. Sloppiness breeds sloppiness.
The infection of success is often fatal.
Most people work harder on the way to the top than when they arrive. If you’re fortunate enough to get there, do not be swayed. Allow success to turn your head and you’ll be looking failure right in the face.
More often than we ever suspect, the lives of others we do affect.
Leadership is a trust—a sacred trust, in my opinion. It goes beyond meeting quotas or winning a basketball game. You have the opportunity to change a person’s life by helping him or her become the best he or she is capable of becoming.
Define “normal” as “abnormally high.”
The list was entitled “Normal Expectations.” It included “Never waste time”; “Never be selfish, jealous, envious, or egotistical”; “Keep emotions under control without losing fight or aggressiveness”; “Work constantly to improve without becoming satisfied”; “Never expect favors”; “Never have reason to be sorry afterward”; “Acquire peace of mind by becoming the best that you are capable of becoming”; “Be on time”; and more. These were just my normal expectations for those under my supervision.
Play to win, but play fair.
Is there a difference between robbing a bank for money and breaking the rules to win? Neither means much except to a thief. Cheating to win doesn’t make you a winner. How you play the game does count—at least to me. Don’t envy those with ill-gotten gains, whether it be money, fame, or victory.
You must discipline yourself to do what is expected of you for the welfare of the team. The coach has many decisions to make, and you will not agree with all of them, but you must respect and accept them. Without supervision and leadership and a disciplined effort by all, much of our united strength will be dissipated pulling against ourselves. Let us not be victimized by a breakdown from within. |
—PRESEASON LETTER TO THE TEAM, 1965 |
The will to win means nothing without the will to work.
I told those under my supervision, “Don’t tell me what you will do. Show me.” Talking about hard work is a lot easier than working hard. I sought individuals who played “tall” more than individuals who were tall.
You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time.
Leadership involves the task of influencing others in a positive way: first of all, those on your team. How can you accomplish this if you annoy, irritate, and alienate those you wish to influence? I was often critical of players, but I tried hard to avoid personal attacks, embarrassment, or demeaning comments, which would make them less likely to take my criticism to heart.
Learn as if you were to live forever; live as if you were to die tomorrow.
Be voracious in your daily desire to acquire knowledge, information, and wisdom. Be joyful and appreciative of the blessing of this day you’ve been given.
Happiness begins where selfishness ends.
Selflessness is the start of a happy team. Individual statistics have value only in regard to how they benefit the group. A team member who hoards information, contacts, knowledge, the “ball”—at the expense of the group—hurts the group.
Fear is short-term; pride lasts.
Instilling fear is a quick and easy way to motivate someone. It won’t last for long with talented people. Create pride with meaningful praise, sincere interest, and selfless dedication to the team. Fear has a place. Pride has first place.
There is no such thing as an overachiever.
Regardless of our individual talent, we’re all under-achievers to different degrees. In 40 years of coaching, I never asked a player to give me 110 percent. I always held to the belief that 100 percent was plenty. In fact, it was everything.
Do not be vulnerable to praise or criticism from outsiders.
Your strength of consistency depends on how you let praise and criticism affect you. Some of it will be deserved and some of it will be undeserved. Either way, don’t get caught up in the opinions of others. When you are honest in your self-analysis, your opinion should count the most.
If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?
In a competitive environment, you will face an overwhelming number of issues that need to be dealt with right now. Thus, it is easy to get sloppy, to give less than total attention to the task at hand. It is better to do one thing correctly than ten poorly. Don’t be the leader who gets a lot done, but nothing done well.
I will get ready, and then, perhaps, my chance will come.
Those under my supervision were cautioned to prepare for the chance to prove themselves: “Be ready and your opportunity may come. But if you’re not ready, it may not come again.” The same applies to those who aspire to higher levels of leadership. You must prepare before opportunity knocks. It seldom knocks twice.
Be more interested in finding the best way, not in having it your way.
A healthy ego—necessary in leadership—often inflates. You suddenly have all the answers and say, “It’s my way or the highway.” When this occurs, you’ll find some very talented people in your organization taking the highway just because they couldn’t get a fair hearing.
Make sure those under your supervision feel they are working with you, not for you.
“All for one and one for all” also applies to the leader. At UCLA, I sincerely believed we were all working together—the players, the assistant coaches, the trainer, the managers. For best results, everyone must feel they are working with everyone else. Seek the right way, not just having it your way.
Goals achieved with little effort are seldom worthwhile or long-lasting.
When nothing is at stake, few compete or care for the results. Take comfort when the field is crowded with worthy opponents. It means you’re in a battle that matters. A great competitor loves the hard battle. Only the worthy opponent brings out your best.
Time spent getting even is best spent getting ahead.
“Sharp elbows” in basketball means a player is overly aggressive, throwing his elbows around. The player who gets hit in the head and tries to retaliate is usually called for the foul. “Forget it,” I would say in practice. “Get even by scoring.” Regardless of who’s throwing the “elbows,” it’s tough to forget about it when you get hit. Get even by winning.
There is nothing stronger than gentleness.
Dictator-style leaders rule by fear and force, humiliation and intimidation. These are the same “leadership” tools used by a prison guard. You achieve better results with talented people when you treat them like human beings. The most powerful motivator is a compliment from someone you respect. It’s true for you, and it’s true for those under your supervision.
Be slow to criticize. Be quick to commend.
Many leaders find it easier to be negative than positive, to criticize rather than commend. It’s just a bad habit. However, when criticism was necessary, as it often was, I tried to say something positive first—then the criticism. I believe the greatest motivator is a pat on the back, although sometimes that “pat” must be a little lower and a little harder.
Much more can be accomplished when no one is concerned about who gets credit.
Selflessness means putting others—the team and its goals—first, ahead of one’s own glory or statistics. It’s among the most valuable qualities an individual can bring to the team. If a player didn’t come by it naturally, I taught them how. The bench was my teaching tool.
Agree to disagree without being disagreeable.
The path to improvement has enough obstacles. A leader makes it more difficult by being surly, contentious, and disagreeable. Control this in yourself; prohibit it in others. A bad attitude is contagious.
You must earn the right to be proud and confident.
On the occasion when UCLA had won a national championship the preceding year, I would start the new season off with these words: “Do not feel that anything that happened last year should have any bearing on this year. You must establish your own identity.” I wanted them to understand clearly that they could not assume the championship identity of the previous team. They had to earn it themselves.
Give credit to those who do little jobs in a big way.
Everybody likes some attention. In basketball or business, there are big producers who get all the notice and acclaim. At press conferences, I countered this by directing attention to those who helped the “big producer” produce so much. A leader is wise to remember that a big producer is assisted by a big team.
You can’t make up for poor effort today by working harder tomorrow.
We kid ourselves: “I’ll buckle down to business tomorrow and work twice as hard.” No. If you can work “twice as hard” tomorrow, it means you’ve been holding something back, not giving 100 percent today. I want 100 percent today and tomorrow.
My experience in teaching and coaching over many years has naturally caused me to become somewhat opinionated in certain areas, but even most of those who are inexperienced will agree that experience is a great, although sometimes hard, teacher.” |
—PRESEASON LETTER TO THE TEAM, 1967 |
Heed this observation: “Others, too, have brains.”
A leader listens. Don’t act like you’re listening when you’re just waiting to talk. People know when you’re not hearing what they say. Sometimes we forget that we’re not the only smart person in the room.
Don’t measure yourself by what you’ve accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your abilities.
The contest is within, to bring out your best. That’s the ultimate challenge and responsibility. Measure your success on the basis of how close you got to realizing your full potential.
Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights.
Consideration for the rights and feelings of others is a small price to pay for the great goodwill that will be returned to you.
The smallest good deed is better than the biggest intention.
The greatest gift means nothing if it’s not given. Don’t let procrastination make you its partner in doing nothing.
A leader must have courage, including the courage to change.
We must fight for what we believe in—up to a point. Remember this bit of verse: “Stubbornness we deprecate / Firmness we condone / The former is my neighbor’s trait / The latter is my own.”
Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out.
The ancient proverb says, “Crisis presents opportunity.” It is the opportunity to dig deeper and rise higher; to get stronger and be smarter; to find a better way, a different path. Adversity offers the opportunity, but you must recognize it.
It has been almost four months since our basketball season came to a close. It was a very successful season [UCLA had won its sixth national championship in seven years], but it is now history and we must look toward the future. The past cannot change what is to come. It is what you do today that counts, and I sincerely hope that you are looking forward to an outstanding 1970–71 season and are eager, not just willing, to make the necessary personal sacrifices to reach that goal. All worthwhile accomplishments require sacrifice and hard work.” |
—PRESEASON LETTER TO THE TEAM, 1970 |