Small Acts of Leadership

Introduction Small Things Can Matter Most

As one of the most revered coaches in American history, John Wooden, the “Wizard of Westwood,” coached his UCLA Bruins basketball team to an unprecedented, and never-again-repeated, ten national championship titles in twelve years. This remarkable winning streak included an astonishing run of eighty-eight undefeated games in a row, and back-to-back 30–0 seasons.

If you had been lucky enough to get into UCLA and play basketball for the great John Wooden in the 1960s and early 1970s, you would have been surprised on your first day of practice. Instead of the opportunity to show your passing, shooting, and dribbling skills in front of the esteemed coach, your first lesson at your first practice would have ...