Honoring the Wizard of Westwood

We lost a great one last night. UCLA Men's basketball coach John Wooden passed away at the age of 99 from natural causes. One of the greatest competitors and motivators, in sports and perhaps in any field, the "Wizard of Westwood," (UCLA is in the Westwood area of Los Angeles) is now gone.

Coach Wooden put together a record of excellence that may never be surpassed:

-- 10 National Championships including a stretch of 7 in a row.

-- 88 consecutive victories.

-- Coach of some of the games greatest names: Alcindor, Walton, Goodrich, Wilkes, Wicks, and others.

He was a sweet man who cared deeply about his UCLA Bruins and about the game of basketball. But he also put things in perspective and knew that basketball was just a game. His "Pyramid of Success" has application to much more than what happens on the court. Life had deeper meaning and his emphasis on excellence, seen in quotes like those below, has application to us all:

"Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out."

"Never mistake activity for achievement."

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

"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."

"Be prepared and be honest."

"You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one."

"You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you."

"What you are as a person is far more important that what you are as a basketball player."

"Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character."

"A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment."

"I'd rather have a lot of talent and a little experience than a lot of experience and a little talent."

"If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?"

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

"It isn't what you do, but how you do it."

"Ability is a poor man's wealth."

"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be."

"Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights."

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."

"Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability."

"It's not so important who starts the game but who finishes it."

"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."

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

"Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful."

"The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team."

"Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming."

"Success is never final, failure is never fatal. It's courage that counts."

Which one is your favorite and why? No doubt you have seen some of these motivational and inspirational quotes before. Now you know their source. Unfortunately, that source is now gone. We definitely lost a great one. Farewell, Coach Wooden. That's Leader Business.

Quotes taken from espn.com...which borrowed them from coachwooden.com.

Succession Planning

Opening kickoff for the NCAA football National Championship game. It doesn't get any more exciting than that. And for my daughter and I (and 94,000+ of our closest friends) it was time to get it on. The pre-game festivities, the talking heads, and the hype were all finished. It was time to play the game. #1 Alabama versus #2 Texas for all the marbles!

Who knew that 5 offensive plays into the game, the depth of Texas would be tested at the most critical position? Yes, after 5 plays Colt McCoy, the winningest quarterback in college football history, was done. Bring in the backup -- an 18 year old with almost no meaningful game experience. It would be his job to snap on his chin strap and try to lead his team to victory.

Let's talk leadership here, can we?

It was clear that this young man was not prepared for the situation he was in, on that night, on that stage. He was not familiar with the game plan. He had not been given enough repetitions to be able to step in and lead his team. He was not ready for the speed of the game nor the decisions he would have to make along the way. (Mind you, I don't think any backup freshman quarterback with limited game experience would truly be ready to step up in that situation.)

It certainly got me thinking about how well prepared my team is to lose a key leader. Similarly, I am not sure I have done all I need to do to set them up for success in my absence. Do we have depth in critical positions? Could the second-teamers step in and would they be able to maintain momentum and accomplish the mission?

Succession planning is hard! Here are 4 things to think about regarding preparing back-ups for success:

1. Backups need exposure to the game plan. Do we include 2nd and 3rd tier leaders when we establish strategic plans and set goals...or just the "inner circle" leadership team? The more we can expose others to the sessions in which we establish our plans and strategies, the more likely they will be comfortable with executing them should they be thrust into leadership roles. Things like vision, strategies, goals and objectives must be shared with the entire team so that everyone is prepared to step up when called.

2. Backups need game experience. Are we empowering our 2nd and 3rd tier team members to truly be leaders when they are in leadership position or do we just ask them to hold down the fort? Do we give people the chance to truly be in charge when we go on vacation or are out of the office or do they just keep the seat warm? Do we provide true, meaningful leadership opportunities to lower-level team members such that they can establish "muscle density" on things like calling plays (communicating orders and instructions), reading defenses (decision making under pressure), and scoring touchdowns (accomplishing the mission).

3. Simulations and contingency plans must address the loss of key leaders. Most of our "what if" drills involve things like the loss of a key customer, the failure of an important system or piece of equipment, or the interruption in the supply chain. But "what if" we lose a key leader? Are we prepared? Have we practiced under those conditions? Have we established contingency plans so that we can quickly integrate new leaders without losing momentum? Are we prepared to adjust the game plan to be able to operate under the new conditions and still accomplish the mission?

4. We need depth at every position. As leaders, we really do need to look at whether we have single points of failure within our organization. Perhaps we need to start by examining whether our teams are ready to win -- without US! Are we grooming successors and are they ready to step in right away? Similarly, do we have depth at other key positions? A team can be just as challenged with the loss of a lineman or a linebacker as with the loss of the quarterback. Succession planning needs to look across the team and ensure that the team is built to last.

It was a great game. While my team lost, my daughter and I had a blast. We both lost our voices cheering on that freshman quarterback. He did okay, getting better and gaining confidence with each snap of the ball. Who knows how prepared he was for the stage on which he was thrust? I doubt many of us could have pulled off what he did that night, almost leading his team to victory. It certainly highlighted the awesome responsibility we have as leaders to ensure our team has the depth to continue the mission -- no matter who is in charge. That's winning football. And that's -- Leader Business!

Jayhawk Leadership

For those of you who aren’t college basketball fans, you missed a classic on Monday night. In the process of winning the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship, the Kansas Jayhawks taught us plenty about leadership. Notwithstanding that it was an “Instant Classic,” here were some of the leadership gems from this great game:

-- Recruit well. Most of the champion Jayhawks’ roster was loaded with high-school All-Americans. Building a championship team begins with finding the best possible talent.

-- Coach ‘em up. Kansas’ Bill Self clearly outcoached his opposite number on the Memphis sideline. He seemed to know when to go fast, when to go slow, and who to have on the court. And when they had to do it, his team knew how to foul.

-- Cultivate a belief in the TEAM. Despite their National Championship, not one player on Kansas even made first-team in their conference. Remember, these were all high-school All-Americans. Somehow, they were able to subordinate their individual goals to the success of the TEAM. These are great players. Many of them will succeed as professionals. But they all bought in to the pursuit of the big prize.

-- Execute. Kansas never got down, even when trailing by 9 with just over 2 minutes remaining. They followed their game plan, listened to their coach, and made their shots, including an incredible 3-pointer that sent the game into overtime. Memphis, on the other hand, could not make free throws down the stretch, and were clearly fatigued when the game was on the line. The game was decided by the players and the coaches, on the court. And the better executing team – won.

What a game. The overtime thriller – and the National Championship – went to the better TEAM, 75-68. Memphis may have had the better players (to include two, 1st Team All-Americans), but they were left to agonize over what could have been.

It was the leadership. Recruit well. Coach ‘em up. Cultivate a belief in TEAM. Execute. That’s Jayhawk leadership. And that’s Leader Business.

Diamond Notes

I don’t know about you but I love baseball in October. Each game is its own mini-drama. Every pitch counts. Every game is do-or-die and has fans like me on the edge of their seats.

As I write this, the National League playoffs are down to two teams – the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies. Who…you might ask? Two teams that no one picked to be fighting for a ticket to the World Series. Two teams that we’d all be hard-pressed naming anyone on their rosters. Two teams that are four victories from the World Series. Amazing!

So what leadership lessons can we take from watching the boys of summer play for the championship? Here’s a couple:

- Superstars are not how championships are won. Instead, teams with role players, good systems, and effective leaders are showing how it is done at the highest levels. Witness the St. Louis Cardinals (last year’s champs), the New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, and the San Antonio Spurs. Among the Arizona Diamondbacks, the favorite to win the NL series, there are 0 players in the top 20 in Batting Average, 0 in the top 10 in home runs, and 0 in the league’s top 30 in RBIs.Players who care less about themselves and more about the success of the team are providing insights to us all about how to build a winner.

- Champions are fundamentally sound. Colorado finished the year with the fewest defensive errors in the league. Arizona had the best bullpen (highest save percentage). The Rockies had the fewest wild pitches. The Diamondbacks hit the most sacrifice flies. Nothing fancy. Just solid in the basics. That is how champion teams are built.

I spoke to a group of Small Business leaders today. I shared with them these observations and compared their status to that of the Rockies and DBacks. Like these small market teams, they must have an attitude of confidence, a record of competence, and a belief in themselves and their respective team. They must build a team of role players who want to do something great – together. And they must be solid in the fundamentals – in their case under budget, on time, doing their particular thing at a high level of excellence.

So who are you rooting for? And what are you learning when you watch the game? I know that baseball is just a game (Ouch…I can’t believe I just said that!). But there is a business side to the game. And when we look at how these two teams were built (no superstars) and how they perform on the basics, there are plenty of lessons we can all apply.

That’s Leader Business.