Something I wanted to share with you that landed in my inbox earlier and in its simplicity captures more about leadership than many books written on the subject. Leadership is not something you are born with, it is something you do to people, either well or abysmally. We all have sour memories of how it felt when someone did it badly and we may be privileged enough to know someone who really inspires us in this regard. After all, its much easier to point to who is a good or bad leader, than it is pinpointing what it is they do or don't do that makes us say that.
However, John Wooden may be able to help us. He is generally regarded as the nation's greatest basketball coach. His
UCLA teams during the 1960s and 1970s won 10 NCAA men's basketball national
championships and set records for consecutive victories. But since retiring in
1975, the 97-year-old coach has gained fame as a philosopher and motivator.
[From LA Times]
Wooden sat down with The Times and offered up 10 tips — one for each of the
NCAA basketball championships his players won at UCLA — for how business owners
can become better leaders.
1. Listen.
One thing that is often
overlooked in leadership is the ability to listen. Listening is so important to
those under your supervision.
2. Care.
Another very important
part of leadership is to make those under your supervision feel that you care
for them — not just for the job they are doing for you, but you really care for
them personally. You just can't tell them you do that, you have to show it.
While some roles aren't as big or in the forefront as others, they are
still very important. I used to use this analogy: It is like having a powerful
car. Now the engine, like an Alcindor [now called Kareem Abdul-Jabbar], who
played for me, that's powerful. Here's another fellow who is just a wheel. And
there is another fellow who is just a nut that holds the wheel on. You have to
have them all. You must make every person feel that they are
needed.
3. Recognize.
When I was teaching in high school in
basketball, for example, [I taught that] my players must never score without
thanking someone. Don't run over and shake their hand but look at them and give
them a little sign or something of appreciation. Everybody likes to have a pat
on the back.
4. Prepare.
[Managers should be aware of]
preparation for whatever their job is, little or big, preparation is so
important. Failure to prepare is preparing to fail. You must not put things off.
5. Be industrious.
Nothing can be accomplished without work.
You've got to work hard. If you are looking for the short cut, if you are
looking for the easy way, if you are looking for the trick to get things done,
you might get them done. But you are not adding strength, you are not
building.
6. Have enthusiasm.
If you don't enjoy what you are
doing you are not going to be able to give it the industriousness that you
should have. You must have that to inspire others to do their best.
7. Be patient.
Good things take time. And that's the way it
should be. We don't want it that way but that's the way it is. I think that is a
very important thing that a leader must get across to those under his
supervision.
8. Have confidence.
You must believe in yourself. If
you don't have confidence in yourself you can't expect those under your
supervision to act with much confidence.
9. Don't fear failure.
Have initiative but don't be afraid of failure. We are all going to fail at
times because we are all imperfect. When I had assistants, I always wanted them
never to be afraid to make a suggestion. We don't know a thing we don't learn
from somebody else in one way or another. If you do agree [with their
suggestion] and use it and it works, be sure that they are the one that gets the
credit, not you. Now if it doesn't work, you take the blame because you made
that decision to use it.
10. Win respect.
You have to have the
respect of those under your supervision. You can't obtain that respect unless
you are honest with them and they can depend upon you. Don't try to sell them a
bill of goods or you will lose all respect.
Some very good rules to live your life by. Enough said.
