Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organizaion

From the first moment of the first day of UCLA’s season, I insisted we do things right—not almost right, but completely right. It’s an attitude, a way of conducting business. A casual approach to executing the details of a job ensures that the job will be done poorly. And then another job will be done poorly. It grows.

masterpiece, each practice a pursuit of perfection. There was a sense of urgency in everything we did; not haste, not hurry, but hustle.

When it came to perfecting details I worked “feet first,” from the ground up. Socks? During our first team meeting I personally showed players how to put them on correctly. Shoes? We didn’t ask players what size they wore. I insisted our trainer measure each student-athlete’s foot—right and left—to ensure that newly issued sneakers fit properly. I

New practice uniforms, good shoes, jerseys tucked in—these things make a difference.

Coach Wooden taught that great things can only be accomplished by doing the little things right. Doing things right became a habit with us. He kept it simple. What’s more simple

“Activity—to produce real results—must be organized and executed meticulously. Otherwise, it’s no different from children running around the playground at recess.”

the day-by-day particulars of how you conduct business.

wastebasket. Carelessness, like sloppiness, is not a characteristic seen in successful organizations; tolerating either is the mark of an ineffective leader.

It was a detail that helped teach our players that sloppiness was not tolerated—in anything.