The Following contains exceprts from the book, Wooden, a Lifetime of Observations On and Off the Court) (Wooden/Jamison).
At our music school in Midland, Texas we believe that music is more than sound, it is relationships. When dealing with the subject of Leadership, relationships matter.
Coach John Wooden is the inspiration behind many of today’s most prominent leadership books and materials. Reading though this book, I felt like I had read much of it before, due to the many quotes that have been taken and used in other books. Wooden, throughout his life remained a man of humility, seeing himself as an educator, more than a sports figure. His overarching message was simple: Be your best wherever you are, regardless of any outside factors. The one thing you can control in life is your own personal preparation, so always focus on that.
The book is a compilation of Wooden’s thoughts on various subjects, as he was interviewed by Steve Jamison. Following are highlights of these quotes:
At our music school in Midland, Texas we hope to inspire these principles in our students, helping them learn not only musical skills but life-lessons.
I never dreamed about winning a national championship. It happened before I even thought it was possible. What I was dreaming about each year, if you want to call it that, was trying to produce the best basketball team we could be. My thoughts were directed toward preparation, our journey, not the results of the effort (such as winning national championships). That would simply have shifted my attention to the wrong area, hoping for something out of my control. Hoping doesn’t make it happen. Mix idealism with realism and add hard word. This will often bring much more than you could ever hope for.
Without peace of mind, what do you have?
Eight Suggestions for Succeeding:
- Fear no opponent. Respect every opponent.
- Remember, it’s the perfection of the smallest details that make big things happen.
- Keep in mind that hustle makes up for many a mistake.
- Be more interested in character than reputation.
- Be quick, but don’t hurry.
- Understand that the harder you work, the more luck you will have.
- Know that valid self-analysis is crucial for improvement.
- Remember that there is no substitute for hard work and careful planning. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
Nine Promises That Can Bring Happiness:
- Promise yourself that you will talk health, happiness, and prosperity as often as possible.
- Promise yourself to make all your friends know there is something in them that is special and that you value.
- Promise to think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best in yourself and others.
- Promise to be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
- Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
- Promise to forget the mistakes of the past and press on to greater achievements in the future.
- Promise to wear a cheerful appearance at all times and give every person you meet a smile.
- Promise to give so much time to improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
- Promise to be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit trouble to press on you.
I came to understand that losing is only temporary and not all-encompassing. You must simply study it, learn from it, and try hard not to lose the same way again. Then you must have the self-control to forget about it.
At our music school in Midland, Texas we teach our students that failure isn’t final, it’s just a stepping-stone to success – if you learn from your mistakes.
Fame is just something other people perceive you to be. You’re no different. You’re still you. It’s their illusion. I didn’t want it to become my illusion.
Competitiveness must be focused exclusively on the process of what you are doing rather than the result of that effort (the so-called winning or losing.)
We teach students in our music school in Midland, Texas that they must compete against themselves as each day they strive to be better than yesterday.
Adversity often produces the unexpected opportunity. Look for it. Appreciate and utilize it. This is difficult to do if you’re feeling sorry for yourself because you’re faced with the adversity.
There are no shortcuts. If you’re working on finding a short cut, the easy way, you’re not working hard enough on the fundamentals. You may get away with it for a spell, but there is no substitute for the basics. And the first basic is good, old-fashioned hard work.
I believe ability can get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there. A big part of character is the self-discipline needed to avoid complacency, resist temptation, and understand that past success doesn’t guarantee future success. It’s so easy to relax, to cut corners, to let down after you’ve reached your goal, and begin thinking you can just “turn it on” automatically, without proper preparation. It takes real character to keep working as hard or even harder once you’re there.
One of the most valuable life-lessons students in our music school in Midland, Texas will learn is to continually strive to grow. Daily, incremental growth, over time produces exponential growth.
Balance is perhaps the most important word for a player or coach to keep in mind. You have to have emotional balance. You have to have physical balance. You have to have mental balance. As coach I had to teach players individual balance, and then the balance of losing themselves in the group for the greater good of the team. Balance means keeping things in proper perspective, not permitting either excessive exuberance or dejection to interfere with preparation, performance, or subsequent individual or team behavior.
What sets our music school apart from many is our encouragement to use group (ensemble) playing as a means to growing in the life-skill of empathy, teamwork and intuitive awareness of community.