Coach John Wooden’s renowned Pyramid of Success is used in boardrooms as well as on the court, and is as popular with business executives as it is with basketball coaches. It’s often cited in articles about sports, psychology, business, education and more.
Coach was a teacher first and foremost, and a prolific author and thinker. He applied leadership wisdom he often expressed through aphorisms that resonate with members of the UCLA Anderson community, where we strive to emulate Wooden’s values and principles. As we prepare for the 2017 John Wooden Global Leadership Awards, we asked students and staff to tell us which “Woodenism” they admire most.
Share your favorite Coach Wooden quote in the comments!
On Sacrifice & Glory
"You must have eagerness to sacrifice personal interests or glory for the welfare of the team."
| People don’t always talk about the unglamorous aspects of leadership, which as a group we experience all the time, like in a family or marriage. I’ll be inspired when corporate leaders talk more about compromise and having to make a hard decision.
― Sana Rahim (FEMBA ’19), 2017 John Wooden Global Leadership Fellow |
On Success
"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."
| As a transitioning veteran, this quote helps remind me that hard work is done for self-satisfaction and rewarded by peace of mind. At the end of each day, I find comfort in knowing that if I dedicate 100 percent of myself to personal and professional growth, achievement is merely a side benefit.
― Captain Luke Goessman (EMBA ’18), U.S. Marine Corps |
On Preparation
"Failure to prepare is preparing to fail."
| Staying true to my values and incrementally developing my skill sets has proven to be incredibly beneficial in an ever-changing business environment. Making positive contributions in my technical professional roles, serving my community and demonstrating leadership attributes all led to my acceptance at UCLA Anderson. ― Liz Cercado (EMBA ’19), Engineering Manager |
On Listening
"Listen if you want to be heard."
| I try to live that ideal at work and at home. Almost everything we do orbits around small teams like family, classmates, business negotiations. To be fully successful, the team accomplishes goals in an empowering way, building up its members for future challenges and opportunities. This means listening and understanding motivations and concerns. When a team succeeds in the right way, it’s a great feeling of accomplishment! ― Vik Sardana (EMBA ’18), Senior Program Manager |
On Dreams
"Don’t give up on your dreams, or your dreams will give up on you."
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I love that quotation because it reminds me how important it is to pursue your dreams, irrespective of what you face in your life. Dreams provide you the courage and determination you need to get up and run when you fall down. The moment you give up on your dreams, you lost the chance to know what you could have achieved! ― Yamini Mappat (FEMBA '18), Accounting Consultant |
On Flexibility
"Flexibility is the key to stability."
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A huge part of success is being ready for opportunities when they present themselves, even if they don’t match the original plan. After college I moved to Shanghai, where I began to put down roots. Two months into my job, an enormous opportunity arose in Taipei, and I took it despite some administrative headaches. That flexibility and willingness to pursue the unknown ultimately provided me a confidence and stability that stands as the bedrock of my career. ― Logan Adermatt (MBA ’19), Creative Director |
On the Way Things Turn Out
"Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out."
| Unexpected turns are a given on any path. It’s not the knowledge of ‘what’ one can do, but the preparedness of ‘how’ one handles uncertainty. In the face of a large acquisition at my employer, instead of simply awaiting the consolidation I identified the untapped local market and the unbeatable national portfolio of experience the acquiring firm would provide us to increase our top line, and it resulted in career advancement and diversification opportunities. We have it in us to change the outcome of the cards that are dealt to us.
― Rameeta Garewal (EMBA ’18), Strategy and Communications Manager for Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment |
On Perfection
"You can’t live a perfect day until you do something for someone who will never be able to repay you."
| Giving is its own reward ― it’s not a loan to be cashed in on some later date. Remember, acts of kindness need not be grand gestures, sometimes they are the smallest and simplest of actions.
― Paul Feinberg, Associate Director, UCLA Anderson Marketing and Communications |
On Character
"Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there."
| I love this quote because it reminds me of the journey each of our students takes. Each Anderson student had the remarkable ability to get admitted to UCLA. But it is the character of our students that connects and bonds and creates the lifelong relationships that people take with them after they graduate.
―Dylan Stafford, Assistant Dean, UCLA Anderson FEMBA |
"Don't mistake activity for productivity." This is a great reminder to move forward rather than use the same energy to tread water.
Posted by: carolyn anderson | 11/02/2017 at 09:06 PM
"Don't let making a living prevent you from making a life."
Working towards your goals and striving for success is important, but if you lose yourself along the way, is it really success? We should all carry with us the moral compass of Coach Wooden to guide us in our journey and seek to make the best of what we encounter.
- Andrew Mandinach, Social Content Manager, UCLA Anderson Marketing and Communications
Posted by: Andrew Mandinach | 11/02/2017 at 11:26 AM