Being the leader I am on both my softball and basketball teams, my sister recommended a leadership book titled, “Wooden On Leadership” by John Wooden. Wooden was the head men’s basketball coach at UCLA for 26 years, earning UCLA’s program 10 National Championships.
Wooden was admired for not only his success on the court but also for his inspirational speeches and methods of coaching that were beloved by his players and later learned by many leaders all around the world. Throughout the book, I was able to learn more about the foundation of his leadership which was the Pyramid of Success, and the lessons that he learned while developing the key to leadership.
Leadership is about helping others achieve their greatness. To achieve competitive greatness, we must be balanced. Balance is key, and it is crucial in everything we do. Consistently being balanced in the things we do comes when we create systems within our teams/organizations. The system that worked for Wooden was one that he created: The Pyramid Of Success.
When reading about the Pyramid of Success, I kept my varsity basketball team in mind, relating the pyramid’s attributes to which ones I think we need improvement on and which ones I think we succeed at. Though all attributes would help impact my varsity basketball team, these three are the ones I think would currently help us most if we improved on them.
The first element I decided to focus on is “self-control”. The self-control element is defined as the practice of self-discipline and keeping your emotions under control. Wooden said, “A team lacking self-control will get outplayed and, usually, outscored” (Wooden 32). To build self-control in a player, Wooden would not tolerate cursing in practice or scrimmages. He instilled from Day One of every new season that that was the expectation and players learned to grow from it. Wooden felt that “A player who couldn’t control his language when he got upset during a scrimmage would be more likely to lose control in more damaging ways during the heat of the competition” (Wooden 32). I learned that as a leader, having self-control creates consistency, which then creates balance, the key to competitive greatness. As a leader of my basketball team, how would I teach this? I would first need to make sure the team understands that self-control is highly prized and loss of control will not be tolerated; loss of self-control in a game will almost always hurt the team. A line from the book that has stuck with me and I will tell my team is, “I (John Wooden) viewed self-control as a sixth Bruin out on the court” (Wooden 33).
The second element from the Pyramid of Success that I would like to see my team work on is Poise. Similar to self-control but different in terms of it having a more personal outlook. “Poise means holding fast to your beliefs and acting following them no matter how bad or good the situation may be” (Wooden 50). Poise also means avoidance when comparing yourself to others and trying to act like someone you’re not. With strong poise comes inner confidence and positive beliefs in your ability to perform. A leader who is poise continuously shows commitment towards one’s values and principles. Being at the pinnacle point of the pyramid, poise serves as a beacon for leaders and individuals aspiring to navigate the complexities of life with a calm and positive spirit. Where you can find poise on the pyramid is also where you can find its valuable element right next door.
Located next to the valuable element that goes hand-in-hand with poise is the third element I chose: confidence. Confidence is something I find my basketball team lacks over time because we let our records get in our heads. Confidence is built when you continuously believe that your preparation is complete and you have done all things possible to prepare yourself for competition, no matter what form it comes in. Wooden preaches that “confidence must be monitored so that it does not spoil or rot and turn into arrogance” (Wooden 52). It is important to realize that confidence can be spoiled when poise isn’t present. Wooden taught his players to never go into a game expecting a win, but instead have respect for their opponents and fear none. “When you have made the effort to prepare to the fullest extent of your ability—and do not underestimate the great challenge of proper and complete preparation—you will reap the crowning block of the Pyramid of Success” (Wooden 52).
The significance of the Pyramid of Success is strong and can be found as a core value to his coaching success. Coach Wooden made his players not only better basketball players but also better humans, as the elements of the Pyramid of Success can be implied beyond the basketball court and in life as well.
In the book, Wooden shares valuable lessons that he has learned from his lifetime of coaching and leadership. As we learned his principles in the Pyramid of Success are centered on building effective leadership. Wooden also begins to highlight the significance of leading by example and that actions speak louder than words. In a game when you are tired, instead of continuously complaining about your bruises or fatigue to your team and coaches, think of how “all in” your opponent may be. Use that to drive yourself when things get hard and you’re tired. Practicing with a purpose is something many athletes have heard over time but, wooden put a new perspective in my mind when it comes to consistently practicing to build success towards the little things. Wooden says “Don’t look for the big, quick improvement. Seek small improvements one day at a time. That’s the only way it happens—and when it happens, it lasts.” Like I said before the key is balance and consistency throughout your systems creates balance.
Wooden believes that actions create a lasting impression under one’s guidance and build trust, respect, and credibility between you and the players. Leaving a lasting impression on the programs I am a part of is something I strive to accomplish as a leader. I think more young leaders must read this book and obtain Wooden’s timeless wisdom that has allowed me to change the way I lead. I am so happy my sister recommended this book to me for without it I wouldn’t be able to gain the knowledge of leadership I can now have.
