“Make Every Day Your Masterpiece.” This is a quote and one of the leadership lessons by John Wooden. I found his quotes and thoughts were great advice to me in my career. His teachings resonate not only with children playing sports but also with men and women in just about any profession.
Coach Wooden created a pyramid that illustrated his coaching and teaching philosophy as building blocks. Below are the 12 lessons in leadership on the pyramid with faith and patience on each side. At the summit of the pyramid is “Success.” Each of the blocks represents a trait that a person must possess in order to become successful in life just like in playing a basketball game. Using this pyramid as a guide, Wooden believed that anyone could have success in their lives by following his simple leadership lessons outlined below.
“Success is a peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable.” -John Wooden
Here are the 15 leadership lessons placed on his pyramid:
1. Industriousness: Success travels in the company of very hard work. There is no trick, no easy way.
2. Friendship: Strive to build a team filled with camaraderie and respect.
3. Loyalty: Be true to yourself. Be true to those you lead.
4. Cooperation: Have utmost concern for what is right rather than who is right.
5. Enthusiasm: Your energy and enjoyment, drive and dedication will stimulate and greatly inspire others.
6. Self-control: Control of your organization begins with control of yourself. Be disciplined.
7. Alertness: Constantly be aware and observing. Always seek to improve yourself and the team.
8. Initiative: Make a decision! Failure to act is often the biggest failure of all.
9. Intentness: Stay the course. When thwarted try again; harder, smarter. Persevere relentlessly.
10. Condition: Ability may get you to the top, but character keeps you there – mental, moral and physical.
11. Skill: What a leader learns after you’ve learned it all counts most of all.
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12. Team Spirit: The star of the team is the team. “We” supersedes “me.”
13. Pose: Be yourself. Don’t be thrown off by the events, whether good or bad.
14. Confidence: The strongest steel is a well-founded self-belief, it is earned not given.
15. Competitive Greatness: Perform at your best when your best is required. Your best is required each day.
Wooden was a devoted Christian who regularly read the Bible and attended church. He believed strongly in his faith and implemented it in how he lived his life. He made it known that there were more important things in life than just basketball. The Pyramid of Success is something we all should take a look at and see what improvements we can make in our own lives.
Which leadership lessons can you apply to your life?
