In preparing for a presentation/discussion I will lead next week for the senior leadership of Texas Health Partners, a wholly owned subsidiary of Texas Health Resources, and their partner organizations, I have been rereading an excellent book on leadership, as well as personal and professional success.  This excellent book, entitled Wooden On Leadership, is authored by Coach John Wooden and Steve Jamison.  The book was published in 2005 and can be purchased at any major book retailer.

This is NOT a book for only sports enthusiasts and those who appreciate world class leadership and success in sports and on the basketball court.  This is one of the finest books on leadership and personal and professional success I have read and studied in the past 45 years!  To add emphasis and credibility to the previous sentence, you might be interested to know that I have a personal library of over 3,000 books and that I have given away literally thousands of books to friends and colleagues over the years.  Take me to a good book store, and I am just fine for the next several hours… or days…

John Wooden did not just write about leadership and success… he has lived what he preaches for over 90 years.  Without question, his life, his leadership and his incredible achievements are a superb example and model for anyone truly interested in long term personal, professional and organizational success.  John Wooden became one of the best builders of winning teams the world has ever seen!

The book includes a detailed explanation of The Pyramid of Success that John Wooden personally created and perfected over a 40 year period.  If you read the book, you will see that The Pyramid of Success produced incredible and unprecedented results that will likely never be equaled nor exceeded in the future. 

The book also features 12 excellent and universal Lessons In Leadership.  These detailed lessons come from the personal and professional experiences of John Wooden.  They are not made up.  They are the real deal.

The final section of the book is entitled Lessons from My Notebook.  John Wooden meticulously documented and measured everything.  He left nothing he could control to chance or happenstance.  By documenting, measuring and constantly focusing on his definition of success, he achieved world class leadership and world wide acclaim.  The Lessons From My Notebook section features copies of John Wooden’s personal notes, observations, reminders, suggestions, and lists of relevant goals and how to achieve them. 

This is not a book featuring pie-in-the-sky platitudes and generalities that sound good but produce little results.  This book is chock-full of specific priceless principles, examples and advice that will stand the test of time.  In addition, the priceless principles, examples and advice found in this book are applicable to every human being living on the planet and to every organization that exists today or that will exist in the future.  That is a big statement, I know!  So test me… acquire the book, seriously study and apply its timeless principles and advice. 

Copyright © 2009 by Dan Nielsen