by Craig Impelman | Jun 5, 2019 | Blog
“The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.” This quote of Coach John Wooden’s summarized an important idea that he felt was critical for any individual involved in a group activity to recognize. In a 2005 radio interview, Coach Wooden was asked two very...
by Craig Impelman | May 29, 2019 | Blog
“Talent is God given, be humble; fame is man-given, be thankful; conceit is self-given, be careful.” This famous quote by John Wooden reflected his attitude on how to approach life and leadership. The first part of this quote—talent is God given, be humble—emphasized...
by Craig Impelman | May 22, 2019 | Blog
“Respect every opponent, but fear none.” This quote by John Wooden reflects his definition of confidence: “Respect without fear may come from being prepared and keeping all things in proper perspective.” The details of Coach Wooden’s approach to competition are worth...
by Craig Impelman | May 15, 2019 | Blog
“Rings and jewels are not gifts but apologies for gifts. The only true gift is a portion of thyself.” This quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson was a favorite of Coach John Wooden’s, as the idea is central to successful leadership. The three key components of a good...
by Craig Impelman | May 7, 2019 | Blog
At the very first John R. Wooden Course, a young man posed this question: “Coach Wooden, next week I will be starting my first job as a manager. What advice can you give me?” Coach Wooden replied, “Make sure the people in your department know that they’re working with...
by Craig Impelman | Apr 24, 2019 | Blog
One of the dictionary definitions of hustle is “to play a game or sport in an alert aggressive manner.” It comes from the Dutch word husselen, which means to shake. And it’s true, that when somebody plays in an alert, aggressive manner, they usually shake things up....
by Craig Impelman | Apr 17, 2019 | Blog
Wisdom, like the wind, blows on unused, except for those who know the art of sailing. This reflects advice John Wooden received from his father, Joshua: You’ll never know a thing you didn’t learn from someone else. Coach Wooden received much wisdom from...
by Craig Impelman | Apr 10, 2019 | Blog
Let me give so much time to the improvement of myself that I shall have no time to criticize others. Time is precious. Time is limited. Time that is used in a negative manner is now not available to do something positive. Coach Wooden often mentioned he never heard...
by Craig Impelman | Apr 3, 2019 | Blog
The time to make friends is before you need them. This quote reflects the way Coach Wooden lived. His father, Joshua Wooden, gave him many key pieces of advice, such as help others and make friendship a fine art, which he followed on a daily basis. Coach always looked...
by Craig Impelman | Mar 27, 2019 | Blog
If you are afraid of criticism, you will die doing nothing. (Part 2) Coach Wooden believed in this clear message, the same idea other great philosophers also expressed: “Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am...
