The Ten Principles of Leadership I Learned from Coach Wooden

Principle 10: Lead by Being Careful
Swen Nater

We have come to the tenth principle of leadership I learned from Coach Wooden. The first nine are:

Principle Number Principle Title Principle Description Reason
1. Lead by knowing your workers’ jobs Know what they do and how they do it This builds respect
2. Lead by prioritizing your responsibilities Focus on your main job; the bottom line This gives them the big picture
3. Leading is skilled teaching Learn the art of teaching This will make them skilled employees
4. Lead by creating a learning laboratory Get people involved in company improvement This will make them fulfilled employees
5. Lead by creating a family Be like a parent and be interested in their lives This will make work their family away from home
6. Lead by developing a team Create a group that works together and where no one cares who gets the credit This will accelerate production
7. Lead by setting goals and then setting them aside Set goals but work on the process to achieve them This will help realize those goals
8. Lead by making progress assessments Use the Pyramid of Success as a tool for employee development and also for assessment This will give them something they really want: To know where they stand and what they need to do to improve
9. Lead by paying attention to detail Be particular about the little things This will teach them the difference between number one and number two

The tenth principle is the most important. In fact, it is the only way to make the first nine happen. Leadership is first and foremost, leading by example. Better said, Leadership is leading by the right example, every day and every minute. 

For Coach Wooden, there was nothing more important than maintaining his integrity. He worked on it every day and was very careful to do what he could to make his reputation equal his character. He understood and was completely aware of the fact, if he screwed up even once, his position as “leader” would be weakened.

For that reason, he took leadership very seriously and understood that we, his players, were watching his every move. One thing that convinced him of that was a poem he quoted often, one credited to Reverend Claude Wisdom White, Sr. If a leader understands the four warnings of this poem and lives them as Coach did, his chances for success will be greatly increased. 

A Little Fellow Follows Me
Rev. Claude Wisdom White, Sr.

1. Be Careful; They Follow

A careful man I ought to be.
A little fellow follows me.
I dare not go astray,
For fear he’ll go the self-same way.

The only time we really got to see Coach and his wife, Nellie, together for any length of time was on road trips. I think he made a special effort to show us how to treat a woman. He opened doors for her, sat down after she did, and gently patted her on the back often.

“Everyone is a teacher to somebody.” John Wooden

2. Be Watchful; They Copy

I cannot once escape his eyes.
Whatever he sees me do, he tries.
Like me, he says, he’s going to be,
That little chap who follows me.

As I arrived at Coach’s condo, he opened the door and let me in. He led me into the den and told me to sit down while he finished something. He was opening mail and answering it. I asked him how many pieces of mail he received a day. He told me, “I get about twelve and I try to answer them the same day I receive them.” I’m still not good at it, but I’ve tried to do the same.

“Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.”
James Arthur Baldwin

3. Be Fearful; They Trust

He thinks that I am good and fine,
Believes in every word of mine.
The base in me he must not see,
That little fellow who follows me.

During games, Coach had a rolled up program in his hands. He used it for two reasons: To know the freethrow percentages of the other players and, to talk to the refs so we couldn’t hear. On one occasion, after a bad call, Coach said, “That’s a terrible call!” While running past our bench toward the other end, the ref replied with a smile, “They liked it on the other end.” Coach smiled too. He told me years later, “Maybe I should not have said anything.”

“The time comes upon every public man when it is best for him to keep his lips closed.” Abraham Lincoln

4. Be Mindful; They Become

I must remember as I go,
Through summers’ sun and winters’ snow,
I am building for the years to be,
In the little chap who follows me.

After a game, I don’t believe I ever saw Coach pass up the opportunity to talk to a little boy or girl. But I can remember several times he avoided talking to a UCLA alumnus.

“The philosophy of the classroom today will be the philosophy of the government tomorrow.”
Abraham Lincoln

Employees and players learn the same way little children do. First they follow, then they copy, next they trust, and last they become like their teachers. And most of it is done by example.

I was driving Coach to a restaurant where we were to have dinner. It was about the tenth time we were to eat there. As we left the parking garage he said, “Now Swen, make a right on White Oak.” I told him I knew where the place was but thanked him. Just before Ventura Boulevard, he said, “Swen, don’t go all the way to Ventura. Make a left into that driveway.” I told him I knew that and could do it blindfolded.” Then he said, “Now watch out for that corner. Sometimes a car coming the other way cuts it close.” I asked him why he gave me the same instructions every time we went to the restaurant. He teasingly smiled, patted me on the thigh, and said, “I just wanted to remind you.”

And I want to remind you (and me) that the first nine principles of leadership are important. You lead by knowing their jobs, prioritizing your responsibilities, teaching, creating an environment of continuous learning, creating a family and a team, setting goals but working on the process, making progress assessment, and by paying attention to detail. But it’s your everyday example that will be the best teacher.

 No written word, no spoken plea,
Can teach our youth what they should be,
Nor all the books on all the shelves;
It’s what the teachers are themselves.
Author: Unknown but Appreciated