Requiem for a Real Leader

Greetings fellow bloggers! TSB has returned from a hiatus where we were able to recharge our batteries and stop to smell the roses. It's important that everyone do that in order to keep in perspective what is important, and what constitutes the immaterial. As some of you know, I have always been a student of great leaders, and those not so great, indicative of the blogs that I have posted in the past. Therefore, TSB felt that it was important to visit this topic on the eve of my favorite leaders death, John Wooden, the legendary coach of the UCLA Bruins.

For those of you that never had the opportunity to meet Coach Wooden, he epitomized great leadership. In today's hyperbolic, self-promoting, egomaniacal society, he would have been passed on, overlooked, and frowned upon because of his unassuming personality and nature. Yet, history never lies, witnessed by his 10 NCAA Basketball Championships in 12 years from 1964 through 1975, that included an 88 game winning streak that will never be broken by the modern game, never. Coach never raised his voice, or attempted to intimidate any of his players. Team came first. He was a master strategist and tactician. His team respected his values and commitment because of the respect that he exhibited towards the young men that came to play for him. Dynasty's are not bought, leveraged, or built on phony marketing platforms. Dynasty's are built by laying a solid foundation, being respectful of those that are on your team, and understanding that it takes hard work, and a vision, to get to where you want to go. The team became Coach Wooden's guiding coalition. Each and everyone of his players had unique skills that complimented each others strengths and weaknesses. Coach Wooden empowered his players to execute. Preparation equals success.

Wooden was a teacher, explaining why something needed to be executed in a specific manner, a quality that lacks in our industry when it comes to leadership. It would probably behoove some of the impostors that claim to be leaders in the spine market to take the time and read Wooden's Pyramid of Success. You don't need to be a student of the game to appreciate his simplicity and genius. Maybe his genius was that that he enjoyed winning but he did not place winning above everything else. Wooden's team was successful because it was always about making the right choices, something that drastically lacks in this industry. So even though this isn't a post about spine, maybe subliminally it is. If you have an opportunity take the time to reflect upon Wooden's credo: "Be true to yourself. Make each day a masterpiece. Help others. Drink deeply from good books. Make friendship a fine art. Build a shelter against a rainy day."

TSB wants to know what our readers think?