Winning and succeeding
Wooden explains why a team can win without fulfilling its ability, or lose while meeting his definition of success. The distinction shifts the standard toward preparation and effort.
Talk · A CLOSER LOOK
The difference between winning and succeeding
ABOUT THIS TALK
Hear Wooden explain his view of success in his own voice. A short way to get to know the person behind the book.
Then return to the book or pyramid with a specific situation in mind.
A CLOSER LOOK
The story behind it.
Hear Wooden explain his view of success in his own voice. A short way to get to know the person behind the book.
A teacher’s voice
The talk moves through recollections, examples, and verse. Wooden’s delivery lets the philosophy arrive through the voice of the person who used it with players.
START HERE
Official Pyramid of Success (opens in a new tab)Source for The difference between winning and succeeding: Official Pyramid of Success.
Watch it for yourself.
Follow the original source to explore the work in its own context.
Sources & credits
Introductions are grounded in the sources below. Collection notes and reading prompts provide an editorial starting point; personal opinions are identified in the collection’s content.
KEEP EXPLORING
Discover the person. Follow the work.
PersonJohn Wooden
Hear Wooden describe success in his own voice.
START WITHThe Essential Wooden
LearningLeadership
BookThe Essential Wooden
Another selected work from John Wooden: A Lifetime of Lessons on Leaders and Leadership. A collection of Wooden's thinking about leading people, preparing a team, and sustaining standards.
EXPLORE THIS WORKJohn Wooden
LearningLeadership
FrameworkThe Pyramid of Success
Another selected work from John Wooden: Wooden organizes qualities of success into a visual framework. Explore the original diagram and the explanations on the official site.
EXPLORE THIS WORKJohn Wooden
LearningLeadership