Wisdom From the Coach's Coach

I took yesterday off from the blog - I was a little tired after staying up late watching the Oscars. I wished I went to bed at my normal time because the program was a huge disappointment. But I'm back today with some encouraging thoughts from a coach's coach.

When one thinks of the most successful coach one may think of Tom Landry of the Dallas Cowboys of the '70s. Others may think of Vince Lombardi of the Greenbay Packers. Or still others may think of the coach of the University North Carolina Tar Heels, Dean Smith.

The person I think of as the most successful coach is still considered one of the best coaches in collegiate basketball history - John Wooden of the UCLA Bruins. Coach Wooden led the Bruins to 10 national championships in 12 years and is still considered a mentor to many of the young men he coached during his tenure at UCLA. Coach still speaks at a number of leadership events and has a number of books on leadership on the market today.

I came across some notes from a leadership conference I attended that featured Coach Wooden. The notes contained 6 life's puzzles from Coach Wooden:

• Why is it easier to criticize than compliment?
• Why is it easier to blame others , than to give them credit?
• Why is it so many who are quick to make suggestions, find it so difficult to make decisions?
• Why can't we realize that it only weakens those we want to help when we do things for them, they should be doing for themselves?
• Why is it so much easier to allow emotions rather than reason to control our decisions?
• Why is it the person with the least to say takes the longest to say it?

If you can figure these puzzles out you are a step ahead of most in this world. Just something to think about from a lifetime of experience - thanks Coach!