Book Review: Wooden (Coach John Wooden)
A friend of mine passed along this book to me before I left for Guatemala last week. I read through most of the book on the way to Guatemala, and I finished it up on the way home. It’s an easy read, and it’s broken up into bite size thoughts and stories.
Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court by Coach John Wooden is a collection of stories and thoughts from the famous UCLA basketball coach. Each story and thought point to a common sense approach to succeeding in life and leadership. In the book, John Wooden shares how he was influenced by his parents, his teachers, his players, and his family to develop his definition of success and his overall view on life.
This is a book that I will reference again and again. It will make a great addition to my office leadership library, and it’s a book I would recommend to anyone who wants to be successful in leadership and life.
My book is full of highlights and notes. Wooden is a wise man who has clearly learned from life. Here are just a few of my favorite quotes from the book:
Being a role model is the most powerful form of educating. Youngsters need good models more than they need critics.
By applying yourself to the task of becoming a little better each and every day over a period of time, you will become a lot better.
You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.
Be more concerned with your character than your reputation.
Perfection is what you are striving for, but perfection is an impossibility. However, striving for perfection is not an impossibility. Do the best you can under the conditions that exist. That is what counts.
Success is peace of mind that is the direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.
As a sports fan, I appreciated the sports related stories that appear throughout the book. As a student of life and leadership, Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court offers so much great advice and information to chew on and digest.
What is one thing that you have observed about life that deserves sharing? Share it here!
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