Leadership Lessons From the King of March Madness

March 14, 2017

While I’m not like I used to be, I’m still somewhat of a basketball junkie, particularly during March Madness. I grew up playing in the schoolyards of Chicago and actually had the opportunity to play for a while in college.

However, I don’t want to create any illusions about my ability. Though we were a good Division I team, I only played (and I’m using that term loosely) for two years, and my skills were mediocre at best. Still, I always enjoyed the NCAA Tournament, and one of my heroes was the unofficial King of March Madness, UCLA Coach John Wooden.

A Man to Admire

After college, I continued in education, first as a teacher and coach and eventually as a Vice President at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky. We actually brought Coach Wooden to town to receive a prestigious leadership award and to speak with our students. Coach Denny Crum was instrumental both in helping us invite him and in securing an affirmative answer.

His three-day visit culminated in an awards banquet with some 1,500 guests in attendance. Of course, as his volunteer escort, I learned many valuable lessons from Coach that were not necessarily about basketball. At heart, he considered himself a teacher, and it was as a teacher that he wanted to be remembered. And if you watched him in action, you’d quickly see why.

A Humble and Value Centered Man

Despite his acclaim, the coach was a most gracious and humble man, which incidentally is one of Jim Collins’ key traits in “Good to Great” leaders. During tight games, I never saw Coach loose his cool. On the contrary, he held the familiar game program rolled up in one hand while the other hand was in his pocket, where he carried a cross. He’d rub that cross during tight spots to remind him of, “who he was and whose he was.” The cross and the values it represented allowed Coach to keep a cool head and the game in perspective.

A Commitment to Excellence

The coach’s practices were timed and well organized in ways that spoke to his commitment to excellence. His planning was detailed and masterful, including inviting a tailor to practice to fit uniforms. He wanted to take any excuses away from players for not performing with excellence. His standards were high and his teams were famous for their outstanding execution. He also considered the games to be a test of his coaching. If his players failed to perform well, he considered that to be his failure and not that of the players.

A Repository of Wisdom and Success

Coach Wooden had a good grasp on life, and his quotes were famous. At times I have used these quotes in my fundraising consulting with clients, “Failure is not fatal but failure to change might be,” and “Learn as if you will live forever; live as if you will die tomorrow.”

Having been in his presence for only a short time, it was obvious that he was both well read and a repository of wisdom. In fact, one of his favorite authors was Robert Louis Stevenson, who said, “That man is a success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much.”

By those standards Coach Wooden was clearly a success. However, his record of 620 wins (81%), 4 undefeated seasons and 10 national championships wasn’t bad either.

A Caring Beyond Performance

Beyond basketball, Coach Wooden cared about his players on a personal level. That was obvious from their comments in the mail we received from them. He addressed their personal needs and shared with them from the wisdom he had accumulated. It all contributed to player success both on the court and in life.

There’s much more I learned from Coach Wooden that can be applied to fundraising and capital campaign consulting. As March Madness progresses I will share some more of those jewels.

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- Ron Poisel, Pastor - Christ Lutheran Church

Leadership Lessons From the King of March Madness

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