I really haven't had too many heroes in my life. My dad was certainly a hero of mine. Frank Seibert, my old boss and veteran of the Vietnam War, also would qualify. President Reagan would be another. However, I learned fairly early that, for the most part, celebrities, politicians and athletes don't always make great heroes. John Wooden, long-time coach of the UCLA Bruins basketball team is the exception to that rule. My dad loved the "Wizard of Westwood," and, as I grew older, learned to love him as well.
Coach Wooden developed the Pyramid of Success (see above...http://www.coachwooden.com) and used it to manage and mold young men's lives at UCLA from 1948 to 1975. Imagine a philosophy that worked equally well with post World War II college students as it did with radical hippies (Remember Bill Walton?) in the late 1960's and early 1970's. Coach Wooden won 12 national championships with UCLA and also had an 88 game winning streak from 1971 to 1974. His players revered him and stayed in touch with him until is death in 2010 at the age of 99. They all talk about how he touched their lives and changed them for the better.
If you look at the Pyramid above, it becomes clear that it has value as a business management philosophy as well. He talks about the value of hard work, the wonders of the team, loyalty to yourself and those you lead and doing things with intent. He talks about striving for greatness and not being satisfied with mediocrity, especially if you can do better. I always tell my daughter and son that if you cut corners you are only cheating yourself. You may not always be able to be the best, but you should always strive to be the best you can be. These philosophies directly relate back to Coach Wooden and they certainly influence every decision I make in my business career. I encourage you to check out Coach's website (http://www.coachwooden.com) and implement some of his philosophies into your daily life.
Coach Wooden developed the Pyramid of Success (see above...http://www.coachwooden.com) and used it to manage and mold young men's lives at UCLA from 1948 to 1975. Imagine a philosophy that worked equally well with post World War II college students as it did with radical hippies (Remember Bill Walton?) in the late 1960's and early 1970's. Coach Wooden won 12 national championships with UCLA and also had an 88 game winning streak from 1971 to 1974. His players revered him and stayed in touch with him until is death in 2010 at the age of 99. They all talk about how he touched their lives and changed them for the better.
If you look at the Pyramid above, it becomes clear that it has value as a business management philosophy as well. He talks about the value of hard work, the wonders of the team, loyalty to yourself and those you lead and doing things with intent. He talks about striving for greatness and not being satisfied with mediocrity, especially if you can do better. I always tell my daughter and son that if you cut corners you are only cheating yourself. You may not always be able to be the best, but you should always strive to be the best you can be. These philosophies directly relate back to Coach Wooden and they certainly influence every decision I make in my business career. I encourage you to check out Coach's website (http://www.coachwooden.com) and implement some of his philosophies into your daily life.
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