John Wooden

Before our team left the locker room and entered the arena… my final words were always about the same: ‘When it’s over, I want your heads up. And there’s only one way your heads can be up—that’s to give it your best out there, everything you have.’

A good leader always seeks improvement—always.

A good leader never stops learning. A great leader never stops teaching.

My basic philosophy was to prepare for each opponent with the same intensity and respect regardless of whether they were undefeated or hadn’t won a single game. Respect all; fear none; concentrate on improving and executing our own system to the highest level possible. That was always my approach.

You can do nothing about yesterday, and the only way to improve tomorrow is by what you do right now.

Things turn out best for those who make the best of how things turn out.

Never lie; never cheat; never steal. Don’t whine; don’t complain; don’t make excuses.

Strive to accomplish the very best that you are capable of. Nothing less than your best will suffice.

Be uncomfortable being comfortable, discontent being content.

But, most people, and many leaders, lack real Patience. Benjamin Franklin understood its value quite well: ‘Genius is nothing but a greater aptitude for patience.’

The hallmark of successful leadership is consistently maximum performance. Emotionalism opens a leader to inconsistency. Seek intensity coupled with emotional discipline. Display those behaviors then demand them from those you lead.

Never be satisfied. Work consistently to improve. Perfection is a goal that can never be reached, but it must be the objective. The uphill climb is slow, but the downhill road is fast.

Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable.

I wanted to create good habits in those under my leadership—not only in the mechanics of playing basketball, but also in the fundamentals of being a good person.

Hard work without enthusiasm leads to tedium. Enthusiasm without industriousness leads to unrealized potential. When combined, they cement a solid foundation.

Failure isn’t fatal, but a failure to change might be.

Don’t worry about them. Let them worry about you.

I always stress condition with my basketball players. I don’t mean physical condition only. You cannot attain and maintain physical condition unless you are morally and mentally conditioned.

The individual who is mistake-free is also probably sitting around doing nothing. And that’s a very big mistake.

Mr. Vince Lombardi is supposed to have said, “Winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.” Well, if he said that, I disagree. I believe making total effort is everything.

Industriousness is the most conscientious, assiduous, and inspired type of work. A willingness to, an appetite for, hard work must be present for success. Without it you have nothing to build on.

You always win when you make the full effort to do the best of which you’re capable.

I challenge you to show me one single solitary individual who achieved his or her own personal greatness without lots of hard work.

When you see a successful individual, a champion, a “winner,” you can be very sure that you are looking at an individual who pays great attention to the perfection of minor details.

Be quick but don’t hurry.

Mix idealism with realism and add hard work. This will often bring much more than you could ever hope for.

The goal I believe is important is the goal of making the most of your abilities. That goal is within your reach.

Adversity often produces the unexpected opportunity. Look for it. Appreciate and utilize it. This is difficult to do if you’re feeling sorry for yourself because you’re faced with adversity.

In classic times, the courageous struggle for a noble cause was considered success in itself. Sadly, that ideal has been forgotten. But it is well worth remembering.

Did I win? Did I lose? Those are the wrong questions. The correct question is: Did I make my best effort? That’s what matters. The rest of it just gets in the way.

If I am through learning, I am through.

Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.

Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.

Next to love, balance is the most important thing.

Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out.

I wanted to create good habits in those under my leadership—not only in the mechanics of playing basketball, but also in the fundamentals of being a good person.

You can do nothing about yesterday, and the only way to improve tomorrow is by what you do right now.

The goal I believe is important is the goal of making the most of your abilities. That goal is within your reach.

Failure isn’t fatal, but a failure to change might be.

Never lie; never cheat; never steal. Don’t whine; don’t complain; don’t make excuses.

Be uncomfortable being comfortable, discontent being content.

Things turn out best for those who make the best of how things turn out.

Before our team left the locker room and entered the arena… my final words were always about the same: ‘When it’s over, I want your heads up. And there’s only one way your heads can be up—that’s to give it your best out there, everything you have.’

My basic philosophy was to prepare for each opponent with the same intensity and respect regardless of whether they were undefeated or hadn’t won a single game. Respect all; fear none; concentrate on improving and executing our own system to the highest level possible. That was always my approach.

Before our team left the locker room and entered the arena… my final words were always about the same: ‘When it’s over, I want your heads up. And there’s only one way your heads can be up—that’s to give it your best out there, everything you have.’

Industriousness and Enthusiasm are a powerful combination, essential to Success. But the great force they produce must be constant, ongoing, relentless, and unremitting—Intentness.

A good leader never stops learning. A great leader never stops teaching.

Good things take time, usually lots of time.

Strive to accomplish the very best that you are capable of. Nothing less than your best will suffice.

Personal greatness for any leader is measured by effectiveness in bringing out the greatness of those you lead.

Be at your best when your best is needed. Love the battle.

The hallmark of successful leadership is consistently maximum performance. Emotionalism opens a leader to inconsistency. Seek intensity coupled with emotional discipline. Display those behaviors then demand them from those you lead.

Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable.

A good leader always seeks improvement—always.

Never be satisfied. Work consistently to improve. Perfection is a goal that can never be reached, but it must be the objective. The uphill climb is slow, but the downhill road is fast.

Regardless of what the final score says, only you can know if you’re successful because only you can know if you truly did your best.

I taught my players that being successful had nothing to do with the final score. Success could only be measured by whether you put in the maximum effort.

I sincerely believe that the difference was that I didn’t talk about winning and losing. I didn’t talk about beating opponents. I kept our focus on only what we could control: our effort and our attitude in the present moment.

Don’t worry about them. Let them worry about you.

I believe in the basics: attention to, and perfection of, tiny details that might be commonly overlooked. They may seem trivial, perhaps even laughable to those who don’t understand, but they aren’t. They are fundamental to your progress in basketball, business, and life. They are the difference between champions and near champions. For example, at the first squad meeting each season, held two weeks before our first actual practice, I personally demonstrated how I wanted players to put on their socks each and every time.

Adversity often produces the unexpected opportunity. Look for it. Appreciate and utilize it. This is difficult to do if you’re feeling sorry for yourself because you’re faced with adversity.

I challenge you to find me one single solitary individual who achieved his or her own personal greatness without lots of hard work.

The individual who is mistake-free is also probably sitting around doing nothing. And that’s a very big mistake.

You always win when you make the full effort to do the best of which you’re capable.

When you see a successful individual, a champion, a “winner,” you can be very sure that you are looking at an individual who pays great attention to the perfection of minor details.

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.