John Wooden Quotes & Sayings

#1. The man who is afraid to risk failure seldom has to face success.

#2. The past cannot change what is to come. The work that you do each and every day is the only true way to improve and prepare yourself for what is to come. You cannot change the past, but you can influence the future by what you do today. -

John Wooden

#3. Not everyone is equipped to be a leader, but in a sense, everyone is a leader to someone, even though you're not equipped. I think parents are a leader to youngsters, teacher are leaders, coaches are leaders, businessmen are leaders.

John Wooden

#4. What a leader learns after you've learned it all counts most of all.

John Wooden

#5. You get ideas across better through listening and the pat-on-the-back method than you do with a kick on the pants.

John Wooden

#6. If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes.

John Wooden

#7. If you get too engrossed and involved and concerned in regard to things over which you have no control, it will adversely affect the things over which you have control.

John Wooden

#8. Dwelling in the past prevents doing something in the present.

John Wooden

#9. I like to spend time in the past, with the things that have been important to me.

John Wooden

#10. Effective leaders are, first and foremost, good teachers. We're in the education business.

John Wooden

#11. How you run the race - your planning, preparation, practice, and performance - counts for everything. Winning or losing is a by-product, and aftereffect, of that effort.

John Wooden

#12. You have to work hard, and you have to enjoy what you're doing. If you don't enjoy it, no matter how hard you seem to work, you're not going to be working as hard as you can because you're not enjoying it.

John Wooden

#13. Adversity is the state in which man most easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then.

John Wooden

#14. The important things to me are your faith, your family and your friends. If you have that, you have everything.

John Wooden

#15. You control the terms of the conflict. Make them play your game. Don't try to play theirs.

John Wooden

#16. Whatever you're doing, you must have patience.

John Wooden

#17. As long as you try your best, you are never a failure. That is, unless you blame others.

John Wooden

#18. Most people think of poise as calm, self-assured dignity; but I call it "just being you".

John Wooden

#19. Before success comes patience ... when we add to our accomplishments the element of hard work over a long period of time, we'll place a far greater value on the outcome. When we are patient, we'll have a greater appreciation of our success.

John Wooden

#20. Earlier in life, I put family in front of faith. I've fixed that. But I always tried to keep work fourth on the list. I was proud when [my wife] Nellie told an interviewer, 'I never could tell whether John had a good practice or a bad practice, because he never brought it home'

John Wooden

#21. People ask me if I'd permit fancy things, like dunks. Well, if they did dunk, it was with no fancy flair. No behind-the-back dribbles or passes unless necessary. If it was for show, you were on the bench.

John Wooden

#22. Forget favors given; remember those received.

John Wooden

#23. there is one similarity between a prison guard and a leader: Both have the final word. When a decision is made, it must be accepted by those on your team, or they must be encouraged to find another team.

John Wooden

#24. Never mistake activity for achievement.

John Wooden

#25. Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.

John Wooden

#26. Drink deeply from good books.

John Wooden

#27. Discipline of others isn't punishment. You discipline to help, to improve, to correct, to prevent, not to punish, humiliate, or retaliate.

John Wooden

#28. If you do enough small things right, big things can happen

John Wooden

#29. It is important for us to see that our mentors are human and therefore fallible; it makes our own shortcomings more tenable.

John Wooden

#30. Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

John Wooden

#31. Discipline yourself - so others don't have to.

John Wooden

#32. It is normal to enjoy praise and dislike criticism. True character is when you prevent either from affecting you in a negative matter.

John Wooden

#33. Kindness makes for much better teamwork.

John Wooden

#34. Flexibility is the key to stability.

John Wooden

#35. It is important to understand the purpose of criticism. Criticism is not meant to punish, but rather to correct something that is preventing better results. The only goal of criticism or discipline is improvement. You must keep that in mind and try to the best of your ability to use tact.

John Wooden

#36. Surround yourself with people strong enough to change your mind.

John Wooden

#37. I was built up from my dad more than anyone else.

John Wooden

#38. Mentors are available at all stages of your leadership life - early, middle and late. Seek them out and listen; absorb their knowledge and use it.

John Wooden

#39. Don't be afraid to fail. The greatest failure of all is not to act when action is needed.

John Wooden

#40. Big things are accomplished only through the perfection of minor details.

John Wooden

#41. When you are through learning you are through.

John Wooden

#42. Discipline yourself so others won't have to.

John Wooden

#43. Perform at your best when your best is required. Your best is required each day.

John Wooden

#44. I think the teaching profession contributes more to the future of our society than any other single profession.

John Wooden

#45. As I grow older, I appreciate things that I didn't appreciate much when I was younger. I am thankful more than I used to be. I've been reasonably healthy, and I feel blessed. And each morning I can think, this is going to be a good day!

John Wooden

#46. It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.

John Wooden

#47. I've been blessed in so many ways.

John Wooden

#48. You can respect a person without necessarily liking that individual.

John Wooden

#49. Loyalty is a cohesive force that forges individuals into a team.

John Wooden

#50. Having the courage to make decisions and take action. Never be afraid to fail. You have nothing to fear if you have prepared to the best of your ability.

John Wooden

#51. You will never outperform your inner circle.

John Wooden

#52. Perfection is impossibility but striving for perfection is not. Do the best you can. That is what counts.

John Wooden

#53. A leader's most powerful ally is his or her own example.

John Wooden

#54. Do not let what you can't do interfere with what you can do.

John Wooden

#55. Be quick without hurrying.

John Wooden

#56. Never lie, never cheat, never steal.

John Wooden

#57. The score will take care of itself when you take care of the effort that precedes the score.

John Wooden

#58. Conditioning is essential to success in basketball.

John Wooden

#59. Goals achieved with little effort are seldom worthwhile or lasting.

John Wooden

#60. A gifted player, who is not a team player, will ultimately hurt the team.

John Wooden

#61. There is no great fun, satisfaction, or joy derived from doing something that's easy.

John Wooden

#62. Too often, we just ask for help instead of really giving thanks for the many things that we've had and are so helpful to us that we did nothing to deserve, so we should give thanks each and every day and pray for guidance in helping us along the proper path.

John Wooden

#63. Don't beat yourself. That's the worst kind of defeat you'll ever suffer.

John Wooden

#64. The problem with new is you don't have time for the old ones.

John Wooden

#65. No individual should take the blame for a loss, because no individual should get the credit for a victory.

John Wooden

#66. It's not so important who starts the game but who finishes it.
-John wooden

John Wooden

#67. Confidence - Poise and confidence are not possible unless you have prepared correctly. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Poise and confidence are a natural result of proper preparation.

John Wooden

#68. Success is a personal matter - only you as an individual can tell if you did everything within your power to give your best effort

John Wooden

#69. As a leader you must be sincerely committed to what's right rather than who's right.

John Wooden

#70. Never make excuses. Your friends don't need them and your foes won't believe them.

John Wooden

#71. The eight laws of learning are explanation, demonstration, imitation, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition.

John Wooden

#72. When we aren't alert, we miss opportunities to improve ourselves. We should always watch for circumstances or situations that can help or harm us and be eager to learn from these encounters.

John Wooden

#73. The goal in life is just the same as in basketball: make the effort to do the best you are capable of doing

John Wooden

#74. What is right is more important than who is right.

John Wooden

#75. Thou didst thy best, that is success.

John Wooden

#76. First, do not betray yourself. Second, do not betray those you lead.

John Wooden

#77. There is no pillow as soft as a clear conscience.

John Wooden

#78. If I were ever prosecuted for my religion, I truly hope there would be enough evidence to convict me.

John Wooden

#79. Be true to yourself. Make each day a masterpiece.

John Wooden

#80. A good banker isn't careless with pennies; a good leader isn't sloppy about details.

John Wooden

#81. There is great joy in doing something for somebody else with no thought in receiving anything in return.

John Wooden

#82. Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character.

John Wooden

#83. Good coaching is about leadership and instilling respect in your players. Dictators lead through fear - good coaches do not.

John Wooden

#84. Intensity makes you stronger. Emotionalism makes you weaker.

John Wooden

#85. I would not tolerate profanity from anyone, anytime. I'd blow the whistle, pull you from the court and put you on the bench and talk to you before I would put you back in.

John Wooden

#86. The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.

John Wooden

#87. To my way of thinking, when you give your total effort - everything you have - the score can never make you a loser. And when you do less, it can't somehow magically turn you into a winner.

John Wooden

#88. Bad times can make you bitter or better.

John Wooden

#89. Losing is only temporary and not encompassing. You must simply study it, learn from it, and try hard not to lose the same way again. Then you must have the self-control to forget about it.

John Wooden

#90. The time to prepare isn't after you have been given the opportunity. It's long before that opportunity arises. Once the opportunity arrives, it's too late to prepare.

John Wooden

#91. Don't permit fear of failure to prevent effort. We are all imperfect and will fail on occasions, but fear of failure is the greatest failure of all.

John Wooden

#92. The outstanding coach is a teacher that gets all his squad to accept the role that he considers to be the most important for the welfare of all.

John Wooden

#93. The uphill climb is slow,but the downhill road is fast.

John Wooden

#94. Don't whine, complain, or make excuses.

John Wooden

#95. Material possessions, winning scores, and great reputations are meaningless in the eyes of the Lord, because He knows what we really are and that is all that matters.

John Wooden