“Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.”
Legendary basketball coach John Wooden taught more than the game—he taught life. A leadership icon, he was influential on the court and off, and his life lessons are unforgettable and timeless.
“When you talk to John Wooden, you wouldn’t even know you were talking to a basketball coach,” says SUCCESS Ambassador and best-selling author John C. Maxwell. “It was the principles of life that people wanted to hear from him.”
Related: Timeless Lessons From John Wooden, the Greatest Coach of All Time
In this short clip, Maxwell discusses leadership lessons Wooden passed down to his former players, such as sportscaster Bill Walton and actor Beau Bridges.
University of Memphis basketball coach Tubby Smith also discusses Wooden’s life lessons, including a poem by Henry Van Dyke passed down from Wooden’s father.
“Wooden always carried this creed on a card that his father gave him,” Smith says. “It read, ‘The four things a man must learn to do if he would make his record true.’”
The Four Things a Man Must Learn to Do
- Think without confusion clearly
- Love his fellow-men sincerely
- Act from honest motives purely
- Trust in God and heaven securely
Wooden believed that his greatest responsibility as a coach and teacher was to turn his players into mature and honorable young men, who were well prepared for life beyond basketball, and that his students’ success should not be measured by grades and wins alone, but also by heart and character. Wooden accomplished this with his teachings based in personal development.
Related: 27 Quotes by John Wooden to Motivate You to Be Better
Explore TheWoodenEffect.com for more blogs and videos about John Wooden’s legacy.
i want to thank you for the light you and john have given to the world. now a days people do not stop to listen to great people who have change the lives of so many. I really needed to se this today. god grants us the power to look for others who have given so much to the world. again let me take this opportunity you thank you for sharing your father.