Rumsfeld's Rules - Leadership Lessons in Business, Politics, War, and Life

CHAPTER NINE

WHAT WRESTLING CAN TEACH

John Wooden, the legendary coach of the UCLA Bruins basketball team, is widely regarded as one of the best coaches of all time. Asked what he thought was the key to winning ten national championships over twelve years—and an unprecedented seven championships in a row—Wooden’s answer was obvious and insightful. He said he put a premium on discipline.

Discipline yourself and others won’t need to.

—JOHN WOODEN

Wooden’s teams probably practiced harder and longer than any other team in the NCAA. If you missed a layup, for example, you were running sprints after practice. As a result, Wooden’s players, who included future NBA superstars like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, were consistently in top physical condition. Those ...