The Wisdom of the Wizard of Westwood

Us children of the 60's and 70's who had any interest in college basketball were witness to one of the greatest sports dynasties in the history of athletic competition with the dominance of the UCLA Bruins.  Save for one year, from 1964 to 1975, the Westwood cagers not only qualified for our current era's pinnacle of achievement, The Final Four, but won the National Championship 10 times!

Granted the "March Madness" tournament in those days consisted of less than 25 participants vs. today's 68 and there were 220 or less Division I teams then eligible vs. this past season's 351, nonetheless the Bruins were no less of juggernaut.  A record of 335-22 during that period meant that for 12 years they won 15 out of every 16 games played!

To be sure there was individual talent during that time with stalwarts such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor), Bill Walton, Gail Goodrich, and Sidney Wicks making their marks not only collegiately, but later professionally.  A primary ingredient that differentiated those teams from their competitors was the manner in which the prized recruits blended with the "role" players who had no doubt been outstanding high school athletes in their own right and all subordinated their egos to buy into the betterment of the team and the "system."

At the center of it was the legendary coach, John Wooden.  Coach Wooden, in the humble, soft spoken manner befitting his Indiana roots, promoted discipline, integrity, unity, and moral fortitude, yet honored the uniqueness and singularity of each individual.  He prided himself as a teacher and shaper, offering lessons not only about competition, but about life, with principles that can apply to each of us at work or in our personal endeavors.

In a recent read of "The Matheny Manifesto,"  St. Louis Cardinal's Manager Mike Matheny's own take on coaching and parenting and the importance of respect, character, and a team-first approach as it applies to young athletes, Matheny devotes several pages to the sage advice of Coach Wooden on a number of subjects.  Some of his observations:

  • Good things take time, as they should.  We shouldn't expect good things to happen overnight.  Getting something too easily or too soon can cheapen the outcome.
  • Be more concerned with what you can do for others than what others can do for you.  You'll be surprised at the results.
  • The best competition I have is against myself to become better.  
  • It is what you learn after you know it all that counts.
  • Never make excuses.  Your friends don't need them, and your foes won't believe them.
  • If I did only what I wanted to do, I would not be obedient to the Creator.  Sometimes He wants us to do certain things that we may not feel like doing.  When it comes to what God asks of us, we need more than good intentions--we need to follow through fully.
  • I never yelled at my players much.  Artificial stimulation doesn't last long.  It's like love and passion.  Passion won't last as long as love.  It's the same with yelling.
  • Leadership is the ability to get individuals to work together for the common good and the best possible results while at the same time letting them know they did it themselves.  
  • A leader's most powerful ally is his or her own example.
  • Knowledge alone is not enough to get desired results.  You must have the elusive ability to teach and to motivate.  This defines a leader; if you can't teach and you can't motivate, you can't lead.
Ultimately, I believe, each of us is on a continual quest for wisdom from our God, trying to discern the right thing to do, say, or act upon at the optimal time, in the best place, and under the correct circumstances.  We yearn for "success," however it is we might define that term.  Many times, unfortunately, I find myself falling short.  Perhaps, though, the search for success has more to do with the journey than the destination.  It's not how many times we've fallen off the horse, it's the number of times we've gotten back on.  It's not that we said the wrong thing at the wrong time, but rather that we apologized and asked forgiveness.  And finally, it's maybe not that we failed, but that we tried in the first place.

Best wishes, fellow seekers, in your journeys.  Take time to listen, learn, help others, and celebrate along the way.

The Seed Sower 

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