Wooden on Leadership

1THE PYRAMID OF SUCCESS

“Ultimately, I wanted the Pyramid’s 15 building blocks to define me as a leader.”

CREATING A WRITTEN DEFINITION of success was a necessary exercise when I started out because many parents came to me to protest classroom grades or the roles I had assigned their sons on a Dayton baseball or basketball team (the bench, most often).

I was increasingly upset, disgusted at times, to hear parents howl about their child’s grade or role on the team when I knew it was often the best the youngster could do. It was unfair to the child and, in fact, counterproductive. How would you feel having worked hard, studied diligently, and paid attention in class—done your best—only to be called a loser? Most individuals, young or old, would ...