LEADERSHIP GAME PLAN FOR SUCCESS: THE PYRAMID OF SUCCESS

JOHN WOODEN

JOHN WOODEN BIOGRAPHY- Teacher/Coach at the high

school and college ranks- Won 10 national championships

including seven in consecutive years while coaching at UCLA

- Four perfect seasons- 88 consecutive wins- All-American at Purdue

University- 2003 Recipient of the Medal of

Freedom Award (Nation’s highest civilian honor)

SUCCESS- Quick Write (2 Minutes)- What is your personal definition of success?- Partner-Pair-Share- Compare your definition with Coach John Wooden’s- Success is peace of mind that is a direct result of self-

satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best you are capable of becoming

- Similarities/Differences

BACKGROUND- Coach Wooden became frustrated with pressure put on

young people to get “A”s in school or to win athletic games- Searched for alternative ways to evaluate success- Definition based on effort rather than results- Inspired by advice given to him by his father, “Don’t worry

about being better than somebody else, but never cease trying to be the best you can be.”

- He found his definition more productive than doing just enough to earn a certain grade or merely aiming to “outscore” somebody or trying to be better than someone else

- Puts success under your own control

A GUIDE TO SUCCESS: COACH WOODEN’S PYRAMID- The pyramid was developed as a blueprint to attain

success.- Wooden felt there were 15 personal qualities and values

that were needed to make the total effort to reach your potential as a person.

- He called them the characteristics and qualities of success

- As a teaching tool he choose the structure of a pyramid to teach the 15 personal qualities

- Each one makes up a block in his pyramid

THE PYRAMID OF SUCCESS

- Industriousness- Friendship- Loyalty- Cooperation- Enthusiasm- Self-Control- Alertness- Initiative

- Intentness- Condition- Skill- Team Spirit- Poise- Confidence- Competitive

Greatness

ALERTNESS- The ability to observe, absorb and understand what’s

going on around you; Most of what we learn in life comes from others, this can only happen if you exhibit alertness

- Constant evaluating yourself (strength and weaknesses) and seeking to improve

- “Never be a spectator. Be in the mix at all times.”

INITIATIVE

- As a leader he wanted to create an environment where individuals were not afraid to risk failure

- “Fear of failure is often the biggest failure of all”

CONFIDENCE- Believing in yourself, this is earned through preparation

- Confidence should not become arrogance which Wooden defines as the assumption that past success can be repeated without the same effort that brought it about in the first place

- “You must earn the right to be confident”

COOPERATION- The sharing of ideas, creativity, responsibility and tasks.

- Much can be accomplished when nobody cares who gets the credit

- “Seek the right way, not just having it your way”

HOW HAVE I USED IT?- Weekly Definitions- Model Behavior- Need to teach life skills along with

curriculum- Readings of people exhibiting

blocks in the pyramid