Wooden On Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization

Explain the ways in which Wooden’s own definition of success differs from the way it is typically defined, especially in sports. Use examples to support your answer.

Discuss the reasons for Wooden’s strict policy on not initiating contact with potential recruits and why that put his program at a disadvantage. Do you think he was correct? Why?

To what extent do you think the book can be used as evidence for Wooden’s personal ethical values? Consider the nature of the narrative persona, authorial self-presentation, and the book’s purpose.

Apply Wooden’s argument that emotion can be an obstacle to high performance in a field other than sports. To what extent do you think this is widely applicable?

Explain the philosophy behind Wooden’s maxim that “little things make big things happen.”

Analyze the contributions of Wooden’s players. How does their portrayal of him differ from his self-portrayal, and what does this add to the book?

Consider Wooden’s overall philosophy concerning awards and honors. Do you agree that these should be less performance based? How might this work in practice?

Apply the “Lessons From My Notebook” to a project or activity of your own, creating notes for yourself. Write an essay discussing how useful you found this process and why.