John Wooden is a personal hero of mine for many reasons. But the one thing that sticks out in my mind is advice that his father gave him upon graduating from grade school. As the story goes, his father provided three keys to being successful in life:
- Don’t Whine
- Don’t Complain
- Don’t Make Excuses
Pure genius. I’ve tried to find a situation where these three principles do not apply, but I can’t. Whining and complaining cannot change anything. Making excuses simply means “I can’t.” If we take away whining, complaining and making excuses there is nothing left except “doing.” It replaces the victim mentality with empowering action-based thinking. Things happen, many times beyond our control. How we respond is what defines us.
Organizations often have cultures that tolerate whiners, complainers and excuse-makers. These people will do more harm than any positive traits or wins they bring to the organization. Every program has challenges and disappointments. Responding to them with positive action is the only way to keep moving forward. Whining, complaining and making excuses chain people to the past instead of acknowledging the present and moving into the future, where success lives.
Wooden approached coaching as teacher, providing the building blocks for success. No shortcuts. No quick fixes. Just hard work, doing the right things and living up to one’s potential.
For more, visit Wooden’s official website.
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