john wooden quote

8/12/2019 John Wooden Quote

1/8

Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to stay

here.

f youre not making mistakes, youre not doing anything.

Dont mistake activity for achievement.

Discipline yourself and others wont need to.

The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.

When youre through learning, youre through.

When you are through learning, you are through.

The ourney is better than the inn.

Do not let what you cant do interfere with what you can do.

!ailure to act is often the biggest failure of all.

"ittle things make big things happen.

The best way to improve the team is to improve yourself.

#ou are not a failure until you start blaming others for your

mistakes.

The force of character is cumulative.

$obody cares how much you know until they know how

much you care.

%"ove& is the greatest word in the 'nglish language. %(alance&

s the second)greatest word.

A leader has one team, not %starters& and %substitutes.&

!ailing to prepare is preparing to fail.

f you have done your ob in preparing the team, the team is

prepared to do its ob in playing the game. *o let them.

(e +uick, but dont hurry.

$o written word nor spoken plea can teach your team what it

should be.

erfection of relevant details is silly to some, but its notunny to me.

The infection of success is often fatal.

-ore often than we ever suspect, the lives of others we do

affect.

Define %normal& as %abnormally high.&

lay to win, but play fair.

The will to win means nothing without the will to work.

#ou cannot antagonie and influence at the same time.

"earn as if you were to live forever/ live as if you were to die

tomorrow.

0appiness begins where selfishness ends.

!ear is short)term/ pride lasts.

There is no such thing as an overachiever.

Do not be vulnerable to praise or criticism from outsiders.

If you dont have time to do it right, when will you have time

to do it over1

I will get ready, and then, perhaps, my chance will come.

(e more interested in finding the best way, not in having it

your way.

-ake sure those under your supervision feel they are

working with you, not for you.

2oals achieved with little effort are seldom worthwhile or

long)lasting.

2oals achieved with little effort are seldom worthwhile or

lasting.

Time spent getting even is best spent getting ahead.

Time spent getting even would be better spent trying to get

ahead.

There is nothing stronger than gentleness.

(e slow to criticie. (e +uick to commend.

(e slow to criticie and +uick to commend.

-uch more can be accomplished when no one is concerned

about who gets credit.


2/8

Agree to disagree without being disagreeable.

#ou must earn the right to be proud and confident.

#ou must earn the right to be confident.

'arn the right to be proud and confident

2ive credit to those who do little obs in a big way.

#ou cant make up for poor effort today by working harder

omorrow.

0eed this observation3 %4thers, too, have brains.&

Dont measure yourself by what youve accomplished, but by

what you should have accomplished with your abilities.

5onsider the rights of others before your own feelings, and

he feelings of others before your own rights.

The smallest good deed is better than the biggest intention.

The smallest good deed is better than the best intention.

A leader must have courage, including the courage to change

Things turn out best for those who make the best of the wayhings turn out.

Whether your team has talent to spare or is spare on talent, a

eaders goal remains the same/ namely, you must bring forth

he best from those with whom you work.

The past is for reference/ the future for dreamers. The

present moment is where you create success3 make it a

masterpiece.

4n losing his sweetheart of 78 years and wife of 9:. (ut went

on to live another ;9 years.< I almost died from grief.

60is fathers advice< =ohnny, never cease trying to be the bestyou can be.

Try your hardest/ make the effort/ do your best.

(e more concerned with your character than with yourreputation. 5haracter is what you really are. >eputation is

what people say you are. 5haracter is more important.

(e more concerned with your character than with your

reputation. 5haracter is what you really are/ reputation is

merely what you are perceived to be.

am not what I ought to be, $ot what I want to be, $ot what I

am going to be, (ut Im thankful that I am better than I used

o be.

There is a choice you have to make in everything you do. *o

keep in mind that in the end the choice you make makes you.

$ever lie. $ever cheat. $ever steal.

Dont whine. Dont complain. Dont make e?cuses.

*trive to accomplish the very best that you are capable of.$othing less than your best effort will suffice. #ou may fool

others, but you can never fool yourself. *elf)satisfaction will

come from the knowledge that you left no stone unturned in

an effort to accomplish everything possible under the

circumstances.

(efore you can be a good leader, you must be a good follower.

A leader must accomplish the difficult task of getting those onthe team to believe that %we& supersedes %me.&

A *imple >ecipe for Teamwork3 It is amaing how much we

can accomplish if no one cares who gets the credit.

In fact, there are no %big& things, only an accumulation of little

things done well.

*uccessful leadership is not about being tough or soft,

sensitive or assertive, but about a set of attributes. !irst and

foremost is character.

0e stood up for his team even when he had to stand alone.

%=ohnny, dont worry about being better than somebody else,but never cease trying to be the best you can be. #ou have

control over that. $ot the other.&

Dont worry about whether youre doing better than the ne?t

guy. =ust give me your best. Thats all I ask.

I dont care how tall you are. I care how tall you play.

I do not accept the notion that the score can make you a loserwhen you have done your best. It cannot. $or can it make you

a winner if you have done less than your best.

A leader must be what he wants the team to become. #oure?ample counts most.

erhaps I was ust trying to find a way to teach others what

my father had taught me.

Dont worry about being better than somebody else, but

never cease trying to be the best you can be.

*uccess is peace of mind that is a direct result of self)

satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become thebest that you are capable of becoming.

Dont udge yourself by what youve accomplished, but rather

by what you could have accomplished given your ability.

*uccess is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self)satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the

best you are capable of becoming.


3/8

There is no trick, no easy way. *uccess travels in the companyof very hard work.

ndustriousness entails rising above the level of hard work.

#ou can work without Industriousness, but there is no

ndustriousness without work.

4nly you truly know if youre rising to a level beyond plain

%hard work.&

%The heights . . .& attained by Tiger Woods, 5al >ipken, andack $icklaus came from a will to win, coupled with their

great will to work.

t is not what you achieve that matters, but what you could

have achieved. Industriousness is a key@ irreplaceable@

actor in becoming the best you can be.

Work without '$T0*IA*- is ust work. %=ust work& is not

enough.

#our energy and enoyment, drive, and dedication willstimulate and greatly inspire others.

As a leader, you must be filled with energy and eagerness, oy

and love for what you do. If you lack enthusiasm for your ob,you cannot perform to the best of your ability.

ndustriousness is unattainable without 'nthusiasm.

ndustriousness is unattainable without 'nthusiasm. #oumust love what you do. If not, it is impossible to bring out

your best.

In my opinion, these two +ualities, Industriousness and'nthusiasm, are always present in those who scale the

heights@who achieve success as I define it.

0ard work is transformed into Industriousness when oinedwith 'nthusiasm.

f your heart is not in your ob, you cannot work to your full

potential.

A leader lacking 'nthusiasm will infect the group with the

same malady.

'nthusiasm is the ignition switch. Turn it on and things starthappening.

f you lack 'nthusiasm for your ob, get out or at least

recognie that you will never perform at your highest level.

The time to make friends is before you need them.

To make a friend, you must be a friend.

(e true to yourself. (e true to those you lead. "oyalty creates

rust.

2ive loyalty and loyalty will be returned in abundance.

!irst, do not betray yourself. *econd, do not betray those you

lead.

0ave the utmost concern for whats right rather than whos

right.

-ake sure the people you lead feel theyre working with you,

not for you.

0ave the utmost concern for whats right rather than whosright.

-uch can be accomplished by teamwork when no one is

concerned about who gets credit.

If you do your best, never lose your temper, and never be out)

fought or out)hustled, youll have nothing to worry about.

5ontrol of your organiation begins with control of yourself.

(e disciplined.

*elf)5ontrol in little things becomes *elf)5ontrol in big things.

$othing is static. '?pect each day to bring new threat andopportunity.

$ever be a spectator. (e in the fight at all times.

5onstantly be aware and observing. Always seek to improve

yourself and the team.

Dont ust act like youre listening. >eally listen. 2ood leaders

are good listeners.

Alertness must e?ist in you and be taught to those under yoursupervision.

0ave the courage to make decisions and the willingness to

risk failure.

The team that makes the most mistakes wins.

Assume failure. Dont ust stand around waiting to see if theball goes in. Assume it wont. 2et ready to respond +uickly

and correctly.

A leader must have Initiative@the courage to make decisionsand the willingness to risk failure.

Its not who starts the game, but who finishes it.

*tay the course. When thwarted, try again@harder, smarter.

ersevere relentlessly.

$ever be satisfied. Work constantly to improve. erfection is

a goal that can never be reached, but it must be the obective.


4/8

The uphill climb is slow, but the downhill road is fast.

Things achieved without effort are seldom worthwhile or

ong)lasting.

What you do away from practice can tear down all we

accomplished during practice.

Ability may get you to the top, but character keeps you there3

mental, moral, and physical.

(e concerned with your preparation, not theirs/ youre?ecution, not theirs/ your effort and desire, not theirs. Dont

worry about them. "et them worry about you.

All weve worked so hard to accomplish on the court today

can be torn down +uickly, in a matter of minutes, if you make

he wrong choices between now and our ne?t practice.

There is a choice you have to make, in everything you do. *o

keep in mind that in the end, the choice you make, makes you.

What a leader learns after having learned it all counts most ofall.

ush yourself to keep learning or you will stay as close to the

bottom as to the top.

The star of your team is the team. The star of the team is the

eam.

%We& supersedes %me.&

nselfish team play and team spirit are two of the foremostessentials for our success.

ust be yourself. Dont be rattled by events, whether good or

bad.0ave respect for, without fear of, every opponent, and

confidence without cockiness in regard to yourself.

#ou must earn the right to be confident, the kind of

confidence that comes from proper preparation.

The strongest steel is well)founded self)belief. It is earned,not given.

'very opponent is to be respected/ no opponent is to be

eared if you have prepared properly.

A goal beyond victory, a standard above winning.

erforming at your best when your best is needed/ a real loveor the hard battle.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

ersonal greatness is not determined by the sie of the ob,but by the sie of the effort that one puts into the ob. This

applies to everyone on your team.

(ig things are accomplished only through the perfection of

minor details.

When youve done your best, you may call yourself a success.

*uccess may result in winning, but winning does notnecessarily make you a success. *uccess, as I define it, is

harder to achieve.

If I did my best I believed in my heart that I was a success.

Whether our team won a championship or not had little to do

with my final reckoning of my success.

Treat all people with dignity and respect.

5haracter@ doing the right thing@is fundamental to

successful leadership.

(e more concerned with what you can do for others thanwhat others can do for you. #oull be surprised at the result.

$obody on this team gets left behind.

(e more concerned with what you can do for others than

what others can do for you. #oull be surprised at the result.

'ach member of your team has the potential for personalgreatness/ a leaders ob is to teach them how to do it.

An effective leader is very good at listening. Its difficult tolisten when you are talking.

If you let your emotions take over, you will be outplayed.

Intensity makes you stronger. 'motionalism makes youweaker.

If you let your emotions take control, you have lost control.

#ou are vulnerable.

A leader defined by intensity is a stronger leader. A leader

ruled by emotions is weak, the team vulnerable.

(e sure you acknowledge and give credit to a teammate whohits you with a scoring pass or for any fine play he may make.

0ave one team, not starters and substitutes. $o one feels

good being a %substitute.&

Acknowledge your teammate.

Ac+uire peace of mind by making the effort to become thebest of which you are capable.


5/8

-inor details, like pennies, add up. A good banker isntcareless with pennies/ a good leader isnt careless with

details.

Activity to produce real results must be organied and

e?ecuted meticulously. 4therwise, its no different from

children running around the playground at recess.

f you do not have the time to do it right, when will you find

he time to do it over1

(e on time.

-ake each day your masterpiece.

Dont think you can make up for it by working twice as hard

omorrow. If you have it within your power to work twice as

hard, I want you to do it right now.

ts what you learn after you know it all that counts.

unishment invokes fear. I wanted a team whose members

were filled with pride, not fear.

#ou ust went beyond really good to being great.

2ive me B88 percent. #ou cant make up for a poor effortoday by giving BB8 percent tomorrow. #ou dont have BB8

percent. #ou only have B88 percent, and thats what I want

rom you right now.

I prefer to give a Cpat on the back as a motivational tool,although sometimes the pat must be a little lower and a little

harder.

#ou can always do more than you think you can.

'ach member of your team has the potential for personal

greatness/ the leaders ob is to help them achieve it.

(e ready and your chance may come. If you are not ready, itmay not come again. (e ready when your opportunity arrives

or it may not arrive again.

2ive me the best youve got. Thats all I ask.

%-ake sure you can hold your head up high after the game.&

They all knew I wasnt talking about the final score.

n whatever role I assign you, e?ecute your responsibilities tohe very best of your ability.

An effective leader is very good at listening. And its difficult

o listen when you are talking.

$ever make e?cuses. #our friends dont need them, and youroes wont believe them.

-ake each day your masterpiece.

#ou cant do anything about yesterday, and the only way toimprove tomorrow is by what you do right now.

Dont let yesterday take up too much of today.

(e a competitor. When the going gets tough, really get going.

The best way to improve the team is to improve yourselves.The best way to improve the team is to improve our self.

Ability may get you to the top but it takes character to stay

there.

Its important to keep trying to do what you think is right, no

matter how hard it is or how often you fail. #ou never stop

trying.

!or ma?imum team accomplishment, each individual must

prepare himself to the best of his ability and then put his

talent to work for the team. This must be done unselfishly,

without thought of personal glory. When no one worries

about who will receive the credit, far more can be

accomplished in any group activity.

Im asked, %5oach Wooden, how did you win all thosechampionships1& -y response is factual3 %I didnt win all

those championships. 4ur team did.

The past cannot change what is to come. The work that you

do each and every day is the only true way to improve and

prepare yourself for what is to come. #ou cannot change thepast, and you can only influence the future by what you do

today.

I must caution you that you cannot live in the past. The BEBF

E; season is now history, and we must look toward thefuture. The past cannot change what is to come. The work

that you do each and every day is the only true way to

improve and prepare yourself for what is to come. #ou cannot

change the past, but you can influence the future by what you

do today.

(uild a shelter against a rainy day.

!ear has a place. ride has first place.

5ome in and talk to me whenever you feel like it, but please

remember that it isnt necessarily lack of communication if

we fail to agree on your position or another individual on the

team. I am and will always be interested in your problems,but I do feel that everyone should do everything possible to

work out their own problems rather than become dependentupon others. I have found prayer most helpful when I am

troubled, and I believe that all prayers are heard and

answered, even though the answer may be %no.&


6/8

A leader is wise to remember that a big producer is assistedby a big team.

f I do not feel there is a place where you can contribute, I

would not want to waste your time, and if you do not feel thatyou are part of the team as a whole, then you should drop out.

Although I prefer to go too far with a play rather than not far

enough, I will drop you when I feel certain that you are

wasting your time.

There is much truth in Giplings %"aw of the =ungle& where hesays, %The strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of

he wolf is the pack.& If you discipline yourself toward team

effort under the supervision of the coach, even though you

may not always agree with my decisions, much can and will

be accomplished. As someone once said, %#ou will be amaed

at how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets

he credit.

2et even by scoring. 2et even by winning.

A leader is wise to remember that a big producer is assisted

by a big team.

-y e?perience in teaching and coaching over many years has

naturally caused me to become somewhat opinionated in

certain areas, but even most of those who are ine?perienced

will agree that e?perience is a great, although sometimes

hard, teacher.

The ancient proverb says, %5risis presents opportunity.& It is

he opportunity to dig deeper and rise higher/ to get stronger

and be smarter/ to find a better way, a different path.

Adversity offers the opportunity, but you must recognie it.

t has been almost four months since our basketball season

came to a close. It was a very successful season 65"A had

won its si?th national championship in seven years


7/8

5onfidence must not become arrogance.

5ompetitive 2reatness is brought forth only in the hard battle

with a worthy opponent.

2ood values are like a magnet. *o are bad values.

The people in your organiation are your e?tended family.

A good teacher wears many hats. -ake sure they all fit yourhead.

A good demonstration is more effective than a great

description.

A great leader is a teacher who is a lifelong student.

t takes B8 hands to score a basket.

The star of your team is the team. (oth you and your

organiation must fully comprehend that fact.

The best talent doesnt always make the best team.

Teamwork means sharing@the ball, information, contacts,deas.

There are no big things/ only an accumulation of little things

hat must be done well.

Details are like rivets in the wing of an airplane. >emoveenough of them and the wing falls off.

*uccess starts from the ground up. nderstand therelationship between %socks& and success.

#ou have nothing without time. Treat it with great respect.

A productive %+uarter& begins with a masterful minute.

The carrot is mightier than a stick.

The purpose of criticism is to correct, improve, and change/rarely to humiliate or embarrass.

t is difficult to effect positive change when you antagonie.

A leaders greatness is found in bringing out greatness inothers.

ersonal greatness is measured@like success@ against ones

own potential, not that of someone else.

4pportunity for advancement comes une?pectedly. Teachhose you lead to be prepared for it when it happens. And be

patient.

(efore calculus comes arithmetic. Advancement comes only

with mastery of the assigned role and responsibility within

the organiation.

$ever be content with performance or results.

>emove all e?cuses for getting to the ne?t level. Dont say

%no&/ ask %how1&

Worry about todays effort, not tomorrows results.

Watching the %scoreboard& is habit)forming. (reak the habit.

Define your dreams, hopes, and aspirations.

!ocus on running the race rather than winning it.

All leaders and their organiations are visited by misfortune

and bad luck. #ou will not be the e?ception to the rule.

%Woe is me& is not the theme song of an effective leader.

Adversity makes us stronger, but only if we resist the

temptation to blame fate for our troubles.

0ow often have you not recognied an opportunity because it

wore the disguise of bad luck1

I am ust a common man who is true to his beliefs.

#ou must be interested in finding the best way, not in having

your own way.

(e most interested in finding the best way, not in having yourown way.

I ran the team pretty much like I ran my family.

#ou know whats right and wrong. I know you do.

'arn the right to be confident.

The man who is afraid to risk failure seldom has to facesuccess.

5onsider the rights of others before your own feelings, andthe feelings of others before your own rights.

#ou discipline those under your supervision to correct, to

help, to improve F not to punish.

-ake sure the team members know theyre working withyou, not for you.

What is right is more important than who is right.

#ou handle things. #ou work with people.

As long as you try your best, you are never a failure. That is,

unless you blame others.


8/8

Tell the truth. That way you dont have to remember a story.

Dont let making a living prevent you from making a life.

f I were ever prosecuted for my religion, I truly hope there

would be enough evidence to convict me.

Although there is no progress without change, not all changes progress.

f we magnified blessings as much as we magnify

disappointments, we would all be much happier.

The best thing a father can do for his children is to love their

mother.

Do not permit what you cannot do to interfere with what you

can do.

"ove is the greatest of all words in our language.

$ever be disagreeable ust because you disagree.

(e more concerned with what you can do for others than

what others can do for you. #oull be surprised at the results.

The more concerned we become over the things we cantcontrol, the less we will do with the things we can control.

Dont permit fear of failure to prevent effort. We are all

mperfect and will fail on occasions, but fear of failure is thegreatest failure of all.

(eing average means you are as close to the bottom as youare to the top.

We are many, but are we much1

$othing can give you greater oy than doing something for

another.

We cannot live a perfect day without doing something for

another without thought of something in return.

#ou can do more good by being good than any other way.

!orget favors given/ remember those received.

(alance is crucial in everything we do.

When its over, I want your heads up. And theres only one

way your heads can be up F thats to give it your best out

here, everything you have.

When you give your total effort F everything you have F thescore can never make you a loser.

Dont follow the pack. >ather, focus on the process instead ofthe prie.

(asketball is played between the ears as much as between the

lines.

A basketball team that wont risk mistakes will not outscore

opponents. The same is true for any organiation.Do not be afraid of mistakes, even of failure.

In the end, the choice you make makes you.

Team spirit is one of the most tangible Cintangibles I have

ever encountered. Its difficult to see/ you feel it.

A true competitor loves the battle.

Talent to spare, or spare on talent, a leaders goal remains the

same.

#ou must discipline yourself to do what is e?pected of you for

the welfare of the team. The coach has many decisions to

make, and you will not agree with all of them, but you mustrespect and accept them. Without supervision and leadership

and a disciplined effort by all, much of our united strengthwill be dissipated pulling against ourselves. "et us not be

victimied by a breakdown from within.

-ake friendship a fine art.

64n being asked how it felt to be almost B88 years old< -oreaches and pains, thats for sure. Art "inkletter said old age is

no place for sissies.

"ife goes by in a flicker, and then youre gone. We are all

pilgrims passing through on your way to eternity.

64n life< #ou only get this one blessed opportunity to makethe effort to do your best. And then its over. $o second

chance.6(ecome< the best that you are capable of becoming. It is

impossible to accomplish more than that.

"earn today as though you were to live forever/ live today asif you were to die tomorrow.

#ou cannot change yesterday, and a better tomorrow will be

the result of what you do today. If you do your best angels cando no better. And this present moment F right now F is when

you have that opportunity.

john wooden quote

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