Fairness is giving all people the treatment they earn and deserve. It doesn’t mean treating everyone alike. That’s unfair, because everyone doesn’t earn the same treatment.
Love this one. It’s the start of a section of the book called “A Leader Is Fair.” And it’s very true. I know it’s true in parenting. Kids always want to be treated the same way as their brother, sister, or friends. But sometimes they don’t earn the same treatment. It also applies quite often to us grown-ups, too.
If you don’t know what this post/series is about, see the John Wooden tag and specifically the first quote I posted.
The most essential thing for a leader to have is the respect of those under his or her supervision. It starts with giving them respect.
You must make it clear that you are working together. Those under your supervision are not working for you but with you, and you all have a common goal.
To repeat that last part: Those under your supervision are not working for you but with you. In order for those under your supervision to be working with you … YOU MUST BE WORKING, TOO. And that seems like one of the problems we have in society today: Too many leaders trying to lead, and not succeeding because they’ve stopped working.
If you don’t know what this post/series is about, see the John Wooden tag and specifically the first quote I posted.
Leadership is the ability to get individuals to work together for the common good and the best possible results while at the same time letting them know they did it themselves.
Oh, I love this quote. It’s so true. And it’s not always easy to get people to work together for a group goal while giving them a sense of personal victory.
If you don’t know what this post/series is about, see the John Wooden tag and specifically the first quote I posted.
There is nothing wrong with that other fellow being better than you are, as long as you did everything you possibly could to prepare yourself for the competition. That is all you have control over. That is all you should concern yourself with. It may be that the other fellow’s level of competency is simply higher than yours. That doesn’t make you a loser.
If you don’t know what this post/series is about, see the John Wooden tag and specifically the first quote I posted.
Is it okay, normal, to be sad about the death of someone you didn’t know? Well, I hope so. Kinda sad around here tonight, at least for me. If you’ve been reading this blog for any amount of time, you know how I feel about John Wooden. He died tonight. 99 years old.
Several months ago, Rick Reilly did this video about his ongoing love for wife, Nell, who died in 1985. Wooden still wrote love letters to her up until the time of his death.
In that video, he says:
“The most important word in our language is ‘love.’ Second is ‘balance.’ Keeping things in perspective.”
That pretty much sums up everything for me. Perfectly said.
Back in 2001, he spoke at the big TED conference. This video reminds me of the speech I saw him give in the late 1980s when I was a student at Pepperdine University.
I wish we’d all try to live our lives more like he lived his.
You must never stand still. You’re either moving upward a little bit or you’re going the other way. You can’t expect to go upward too quickly, but you can sure go down very quickly.
This reminds me of one of my dad’s favorite sayings: “You have to learn something new every day. It’s a wasted day if you didn’t learn anything new.” I think both quotes are saying the same thing in different ways.
If you don’t know what this post/series is about, see the John Wooden tag and specifically the first quote I posted.
Ability can get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there. A big part of character is the self-discipline needed to avoid complacency, resist temptation, and understand that past success doesn’t guarantee future success.
There’s enough in that quote for, like, three different blog posts. But I’ll keep it all together in this one. You’re welcome.
If you don’t know what this post/series is about, see the John Wooden tag and specifically the first quote I posted.
Adversity often produces the unexpected opportunity. Look for it. Appreciate it and utilize it. This is difficult to do if you’re feeling sorry for yourself because you’re faced with the adversity.
If you don’t know what this post/series is about, see the John Wooden tag and specifically the first quote I posted.
It is best not to drink too deeply from a cup full of fame. It can be very intoxicating, and intoxicated people often do foolish things.
Back when I was a TV sportscaster in small town Idaho, the local kids would occasionally come up to me and ask for an autograph when I was out covering some event. I politely declined to sign anything for them, telling them that I wasn’t famous and my autograph would never be worth anything. When I told this story not long ago to a couple friends, they said I was being a jerk. I don’t think so; I was just being realistic about fame and trying not to get intoxicated by the kids’ attention.
Last October at a U2 academic conference, I was asked to sign about 10 copies of my book. My wife told me in advance that I wasn’t allowed to say “no” to those requests. She was right – it would’ve been really bad form to do that. And I have to confess that I got a bit drunk on the attention. Thankfully, that was a short trip and coming back home put me right back where I belonged!
If you don’t know what this post/series is about, see the John Wooden tag and specifically the first quote I posted.
Welcome to my home away from home on the Interwebz. When I'm not here, you might find me on Twitter (@mattmcgee), Flickr, StumbleUpon, or maybe even Yahoo! Answers. I'm a big sports and music fan. I watch LOST religiously. I love big, juicy cheeseburgers, and ice cream. With M&Ms. The ice cream that is, not the cheeseburgers.
