SWENSDAY STUFF

The Mystery of the Greatness of Wooden and Einstein
Swen Nater

What was it that resulted in UCLA’s 10 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championships and, even more amazing, 38 consecutive playoff victories? How did Coach Wooden do it? The greatness of John Wooden will forever be a mystery, at least in part. Those that teach and lead will continue to dig to see what the secrets were. Even now, once in awhile, someone will come up with another ingredient. And, we know, there are many ingredients. I will present one in this article.

The greatness of Albert Einstein will also remain a mystery. But it shouldn’t. In two sentences, he gave us the blueprint, the same type of method Coach Wooden used and the same design anyone can use to become great at anything worthwhile.

I do not consider myself to have any special talent. Curiosity, obsession, and dogged endurance, combined with self-criticism, have led me to my ideas.
Albert Einstein

When we study what Einstein wrote, we will arrive at a roadmap to greatness. At the same time, we will learn what prevents people from achieving greatness. Einstein’s goal was in proving relativity, for example, that speed could influence relative time. Coach Wooden’s goal was finding the best ways to facilitate quick, permanent, and practical learning. Einstein achieved greatness in his field. Coach Wooden achieved greatness as a teacher.

Einstein’s formula has four steps: Curiosity, Obsession, Dogged-Endurance, and Self-Criticism. He said, his greatness had nothing to do with talent. Coach Wooden’s formula is the same. Greatness is ignited by a snooping-interest in something. It is accelerated by a fascinated-fixation on finding the answers. It is fully-fueled by a patient fortitude to see the quest to the end. It is kept on track with contempt for smug-complacency with any progress or praise. In other words, Einstein and Wooden never even slowed down on the road to greatness.

Once I was obsessed with becoming a great violinist and practiced for hours a day. Then, something stopped me. At Jefferson Jr. High, when I took up violin, I was not very good. I practiced and practiced; so much so, during summerschool orchestra class, Mr. Sandberg gave me the solo part in the end of summer concert. I was so proud. You would have thought that success would have been a catalyst for accelerated improvement. 

Coming from middle school, I was placed far down the pecking order in the Wilson High School orchestra. Somehow, I wasn’t able to sustain the motivation I had in middle school. Wilson High School, arguably, had one of the finest orchestras in the nation. Consequently, in my junior year, I quit.

Wendy and I went to a trumpet player’s concert recently. There, a very talented and accomplished guest performer, a violinist, played the instrument so well, it sang its way into my heartstrings. At that moment, I lamented the lack of dogged endurance I had as a youth. Had I kept going, perhaps I could have played like that.

What stopped me? What stops anyone from becoming great? Why didn’t Einstein or Wooden quit? The answer is simple and is found in the hard grout that secures the cornerstones of John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success: Industriousness and Enthusiasm.

I didn’t love violin enough to do the necessary work that would take me to greatness. There are many who are curious. There are many that are, for a time, obsessed. But, somewhere down the road, when things get really tough and more love and hard work are required to keep moving, they do the math and decide, it’s not worth it. And that’s why there are so few Einsteins and Woodens. 

What is your theory of relativity or mastery of teaching? Is it astronomy, writing, poetry, victory over addiction, or art? Greatness is not a mystery. Keep the fire of curiosity and obsession going, and commit to as much hard work as is it takes to get there. Greatness didn’t come to Einstein or Wooden; they needed to find it through sustained and passionate effort. Remember, Einstein said, curiosity, obsession, and dogged-endurance, combined with self-criticism, led him to his ideas.  Don’t ever give up and you will join Albert and John someday.

Consider the postage stamp; its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there. Josh Billings