The Essential Wooden: A Lifetime of Lessons on Leaders and Leadership

I am a teacher in middle school. I am also a former active duty soldier and a current reservist. I find Wooden's ideas practical and inspirational. Read it. Absorb it. Apply it. There are lessons for life, learning and basketball. His lessons would be equally effective i the classroom, boardroom, or the battlefield. Don't pass it by.

John Wooden exemplifies selflessness. His model for winning and success is infallible. What I got out of this book was the principle of listening to yourself and not trying to live up to other people's expectations. You do what feels right for you. The other valuable lesson I got out of this book was selflessness. In this world, you don't get to where you want to go by being selfish. What I was so impressed by so much was his definition of "winning". If you give it your best effort in a competition, than you have won, regardless of the score. This man is truly a legend.

If you are looking for a good introduction to keys of legendary UCLA coach John Wooden's success, look no further. Much has been written about Wooden over the years. The Essential Wooden breaks it down in a simple format. The book is a quick read and can be finished in an evening. To quote Wooden, "Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming." You can summarize it this way, the key to success is working hard on your own skills and abilities, and working toward constant improvement. That is in many ways the same secret to the success of companies like Toyota and Honda, continuous improvement and a focus on the team. What's great about this book is that Wooden has had time to reflect on his achievements and successes. Wooden strikes me as a humble and honest man. When he says his focus was on each member of the team pushing themselves to the limit, exceeding their own expectations and focusing on being the best they can be, not winning, I believe him. Wooden briefly discusses his Pyramid of Success,and it's 17 steps. These are mutually supporting building blocks of a successful mindset and they are not complicated. Industriousness, self-control, poise, etc. Wooden's genius is building it into a system, that proved itself many times over. Success takes work, a fact that is lost on many today. My Highest Recommendation, and a book I look forward to reading again.

This man was an excellent leader, he did it by keeping things simple and basic. Most of all he put people first and placed high value on giving 100% all the time. Coach would be upset if you won and only gave 50% while on the other hand he would be proud of you if you gave 110% and still lost. Great guy, good book.

Here is a book that is sure to inspire you. From the first pages it grips you, then keeps your attention until the very end. Wooden's philosophy emphasizes that sucess is not measured in "bottom-line" results -- such as games won, sales figures, or other analogous metrics -- but rather on reaching the maximum potential one can achieve -- either individually or as a team. The measure of this becomes self-evident through honest preparation, intensity of practice, selflessness, and so-on. End results, then, are simply byproducts of hard work that was paid up front. Other discussions center around concepts of teamwork, and how to handle people. These have value for everyone, not just leaders and players. The book is an easy read, and very well written. You won't be disappointed with this one.