For 44 years, 10 of those were spent teaching at the high school level and the remaining 34 were spent teaching and coaching at the college level, and I also served as an administrator in the field. Along with coaching, I have led basketball camps and clinics in the United States and four European countries. Many of the people I've had the pleasure of working with have gone on to have highly successful professional lives, and I consider it a great honor to have been associated with them.
Throughout my life, I've noticed six traits that I believe
are common among the most successful people I've met. Listed below are six ways
of thinking that can help you succeed at work and advance in your chosen field.
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These Mental Attributes Will Help You Succeed in All Aspects of Life
1. Modesty
To a person, the most successful people I've worked with
have been the most modest. The most successful people I've met in the fields of
business, teaching, law, and medicine have all struck me as remarkably modest.
True leadership requires the humility to recognize one's own limitations. Surprisingly,
the most conceited people were those who had striven for professional greatness
but had fallen short. This happened repeatedly, it seemed. In honor of its 75th
year in publication, Fortune magazine focused its entire issue on the topic of
decision-making. They spoke with prominent figures in the business, military,
academic, and political spheres.
Good to Great author Jim Collins gave what I found to be the
most enlightening interview. He made the observation that the three words that
have been most frequently uttered by American business leaders in the last
quarter century are "I don't know." Fortunately, I have worked under
some knowledgeable managers in the past. In fact, it would be inaccurate to say
that I collaborated with them. As a result of their superior knowledge, no one
could work "with" them.
There were also leaders I worked with who would gather their
top brass for consultation before making a life-or-death call. They were able
to openly admit uncertainty, saying things like, "I don't know how we
should handle this issue, but let's put our heads together and find the best
solution." These modest leaders impressed me the most because they exuded
confidence and strength despite their apparent lack of both.
"Talent is God-given, be humble," the legendary
UCLA basketball coach John Wooden once said. Humans bestow fame; we should be
grateful. However, pride comes from within, so watch out.
Concern
Successful employees value their
relationships with coworkers. A key component of Wellness-Centered Leadership,
which aims to equip its followers with the means to achieve both personal and
professional success, is genuine concern for those in charge. University of St.
Francis basketball teams regularly performed for visiting coaches at Nike
clinics held in Chicago. They were required to perform for Bob Knight, the head
coach at Indiana. Coach Knight had a reputation for being strict, so the
players were understandably anxious. Our team's first drill with Coach was a
complete and utter failure. Something went horribly wrong on our end. There was
much hilarity among the coaches. Never before have 800 coaches gone so silent
so fast. Bob Knight showed genuine interest in our team, and they were eager to
continue working with him throughout the clinic. Those who actually care do
show up. Those who succeed show concern.
Go the Extra Mile
People who are successful
routinely go above and beyond what is required of them. The best workers are
the ones who will do whatever it takes to fix a problem. Not only are they
willing to go above and beyond, but they do so without being prompted. Jack
Hermanski, one of my best friends and fellow coaches, was a special education
teacher. As a "traveling" educator, he visited and taught at ten
different schools throughout his district. Jack's school district had a meager
budget, but it wasn't unusual. Jack cared deeply about his students and would
not let financial constraints stop him from teaching them. Jack had to move his
gear between schools every day, so he kept it all in his truck. Jack's truck,
however, had some unusual hardware. He made a complete purchase. Jack made
every effort to give his students the top-notch education they deserved.
Hearing
The importance of good listening
skills, in my opinion, cannot be emphasized enough. There are many
opportunities to practice public speaking in college, but I think students
would benefit more from being required to take a course on active listening as
part of their general education. The ability to listen attentively and respond
thoughtfully is highly prized. [4]
If you'll excuse me, I'd rather
share the insights of some eminent people on the topic of listening than my
own: As Mahatma Gandhi once said, "Listening to another person's point of
view is one of the highest forms of respect." To quote Bryant H. McGill One
of the most powerful acts of kindness is simply listening. "Most of the
successful people I've known are the ones who do more listening than
talking," said someone whose identity remains unknown. Baruch, Bernard
It takes courage to speak up, but
it takes, even more, to be quiet and listen.
• "God gave
us a mouth that closes and ears that don't," Winston Churchill Something
must be learned from that.
• "Most
people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent
to reply." - Anonymous Nothing, I say today will teach me anything. -
Stephen Covey
• "I remind
myself every morning: As a result, I can only acquire knowledge through
listening. It's impossible to pay attention to two people at once, as Larry
King once put it: "You cannot truly listen to anyone and do anything
else." Peck, Scott
• This is
something I have never considered. I take it you have. According to the same
alphabet, the words listen and silence shares the same sounds. In the words of
Alfred Brendel: Workplace success often stems from a person's ability to listen
attentively and respond appropriately.
Always Educating Oneself
The brain is like a parachute.
Open, it performs at its peak. Zappa, Frank Similar to listening, gaining
knowledge increases one's status and is rewarded with deference. No matter what
field you're in, you should make it a priority to become an expert in it. In
the 1960s, I thought it was important for basketball players to lift weights.
My only possible example of being "ahead of the curve" is this practice.
During the season, we lifted
twice per week. We were doing strength training to get our players ready for
the intensity of the games. We got to talk to the Chicago Bulls' strength
coaches, which was a great opportunity. They were just like everyone else in
that they lifted to gain muscle, except they went further. Additionally, they
did weights to improve their athleticism. They demonstrated some exercises that
not only built strong but also boosted speed. We tried new things and shifted
up our routine a bit when it came to weight lifting.
Learning thrives on repetition.
Physical skills can only be mastered through extensive practice.
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I used to believe that hard work
alone would guarantee athletic victory. This is no longer true for me in sports
or any other field. In my opinion, working diligently and persistently over
time is what separates average performers from those who truly excel. While
nobody ever performs at 100%, the best of the best learns to dig deep every day
and give it their all regardless of how they feel. Good athletes know how to
rediscover their peak performance on occasion. Great athletes have the mental
fortitude to put forth their absolute best effort the moment they lace up their
sneakers for practice.
Here is how John Wooden characterizes
success in his now-iconic Pyramid of Success: Peace of mind comes from
accomplishing your goals and realizing your potential, and that's what we mean
when we say success is the result of hard work. Accepting that there are no
quick fixes to problems is crucial. You will reach your full professional and
personal potential when you learn to give your absolute best effort every
single day.
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