110+ John Wooden's Quotes on Success and Champion Mindset

John Wooden was an American basketball player and coach. He was the head coach at UCLA from 1948 to 1975, leading the Bruins to 10 NCAA championships in 12 years. He is considered one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and a coach. Following is our collection on famous quotes by John Wooden on teamwork, leadership, character.

Top 10 John Wooden Quotes

1. Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.
2. Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.
3. Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.
4. Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.
5. Nothing will work unless you do.
6. Don't mistake activity for achievement.
7. Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.
8. The most powerful leadership tool you have is your own personal example.
9. Seek opportunities to show you care. The smallest gestures often make the biggest difference.
10. Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who'll argue with you.

John Wooden Image Quotes

Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. — John Wooden

Nothing will work unless you do. — John Wooden

Don't mistake activity for achievement. — John Wooden

The most powerful leadership tool you have is your own personal example. — John Wooden

A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment. — John Wooden

It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. — John Wooden

Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character. — John Wooden

Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be. — John Wooden

Sports do not build character. They reveal it. — John Wooden

It is amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit. — John Wooden

John Wooden Short Quotes

• A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.
• A leader must listen to those under their supervision.
• If we magnified blessings as much as we magnify disappointments, we would all be much happier.
• As long as you try your best, you are never a failure. That is, unless you blame others.
• It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.
• Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out.
• Champions never complain, they are too busy getting better
• The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.
• The ability to see the good in others and the bad in ourselves is perfect vision.
• Respect every opponent, but fear none.

John Wooden Quotes About Teamwork

Make sure that team members know they are working with you, not for you. — John Wooden

Confidence comes from being prepared. — John Wooden

Teamwork is not a preference, it is a requirement. — John Wooden

Kindness makes for much better teamwork. — John Wooden

Place the team above yourself always. — John Wooden

A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group - that's teamwork. — John Wooden

John Wooden Quotes About Leadership

It is amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit. — John Wooden

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. — John Wooden

A leader’s most powerful ally is his or her own example. — John Wooden

I would spend almost as much time planning a practice as conducting it. Everything was planned out each day — John Wooden

Without organization and leadership toward a realistic goal, there is no chance of realizing more than a small percentage of your potential. — John Wooden

I believe one of the requirements of good leadership is the ability to listen - really listen - to those in your organization. An effective leader is very good at listening, and it's difficult to listen when you are talking. — John Wooden

Mentors are available at all stages of your leadership life - early, middle and late. Seek them out and listen; absorb their knowledge and use it. — John Wooden

Leadership is the ability to get individuals to work together for the common good and the best possible results while at the same time letting them know they did it themselves. — John Wooden

There is no more powerful leadership tool than your own personal example. — John Wooden

Work without joy is drudgery. Drudgery does not produce champions, nor does it produce great organizations. — John Wooden

John Wooden Quotes About Character

Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character. — John Wooden

Sports do not build character. They reveal it. — John Wooden

The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching. — John Wooden

Don't get discouraged: it is often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock. Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there. — John Wooden

We can become great in the eyes of others, but we'll never become successful when we compromise our character and show disloyalty toward friends or teammates. The reverse is also true: No individual or team will become great without loyalty. — John Wooden

While you, the leader, can teach many things, character is not taught easily to adults who arrive at your desk lacking it. Be cautious about taking on reclamation projects regardless of the talent they may possess. Have the courage to make character count among the qualities you seek in others. — John Wooden

It is normal to enjoy praise and dislike criticism. True character is when you prevent either from affecting you in a negative matter. — John Wooden

Others may have more ability than you, they may be larger, faster, quicker, better jumpers ... but no one should be your superior in respect to team spirit, loyalty, enthusiasm, cooperation, determination, industriousness, fight effort, and character. — John Wooden

The true athlete should have character, not be a character — John Wooden

Your reputation is what you're perceived to be, Your character is what you really are — John Wooden

John Wooden Quotes About Success

Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming. — John Wooden

Never mistake activity for achievement. — John Wooden

Material possessions, winning scores, and great reputations are meaningless in the eyes of the Lord, because He knows what we really are and that is all that matters. — John Wooden

You can lose when you outscore somebody in a game. And you can win when you're outscored. — John Wooden

The most important key to achieving great success is to decide upon your goal and launch, get started, take action, move. — John Wooden

I do not judge success based on championships; rather, I judge it on how close we came to realizing our potential — John Wooden

The man who is afraid to risk failure seldom has to face success. — John Wooden

What you do in practice is going to determine your level of success. I used to tell my players, 'You have to give 100 percent every day. Whatever you don't give, you can't make up for tomorrow. If you give only 75 percent today, you can't give 125 percent tomorrow to make up for it.' — John Wooden

The two hardest things to handle in life are failure and success. — John Wooden

Conditioning is essential to success in basketball. — John Wooden

John Wooden Quotes About Preparation

Having the courage to make decisions and take action. Never be afraid to fail. You have nothing to fear if you have prepared to the best of your ability. — John Wooden

Failure to prepare is preparing to fail. — John Wooden

Be prepared and be honest. — John Wooden

How you run the race - your planning, preparation, practice, and performance - counts for everything. Winning or losing is a by-product, and aftereffect, of that effort. — John Wooden

When opportunity comes it is too late to prepare. — John Wooden

A knowledge of and the ability to properly and quickly execute the fundamentals. Be prepared and cover every little detail. — John Wooden

There is no substitute for work. Worthwhile results come from hard work and careful planning. — John Wooden

Confidence - Poise and confidence are not possible unless you have prepared correctly. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Poise and confidence are a natural result of proper preparation. — John Wooden

It's too late for preparation when opportunity strikes. — John Wooden

The time to prepare isn't after you have been given the opportunity. It's long before that opportunity arises. Once the opportunity arrives, it's too late to prepare. — John Wooden

John Wooden Quotes About Learning

It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. — John Wooden

Many leaders don't listen, and it is one of the greatest methods we have of learning. You need to listen to those under your supervision and to those who are above you. — John Wooden

We don’t have to be superstars or win championships…. All we have to do is learn to rise to every occasion, give our best effort, and make those around us better as we do it. — John Wooden

The four laws of learning are: the first is demonstration of what you want. The second is the criticism of the demonstration. The third is the imitation of the correct model, and the fourth is repetition, over and over until it becomes habit where is you don't think about it. — John Wooden

Never try to be better than someone else. Learn from others. — John Wooden

It is easier to reach our potential when we learn the value of including others in our quest. — John Wooden

The eight laws of learning are explanation, demonstration, imitation, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition. — John Wooden

Be observing constantly. Stay open-minded. Be eager to learn and improve. — John Wooden

In my opinion, being an effective leader requires being an effective listener. The most productive leaders are usually those who are consistently willing to listen and learn. — John Wooden

Winning and losing aren't all they're cracked up to be, but the trip to the destination is. — John Wooden

John Wooden Quotes About Losing

If you lose self-control everything will fall. — John Wooden

Players with fight never lose a game, they just run out of time — John Wooden

Losing does not make you a failure; it is when you blame someone for losing when you become a failure — John Wooden

You can't make good decisions that are going to be meaningful, productive, when you lose control, and you have to maintain mental control, emotional control and to be able to perform physically up to your own particular level of competency; you have to keep your emotions under control. — John Wooden

If you let social activities take precedence over your academic activities, then you will soon lose your basketball activities. — John Wooden

Losing is only temporary and not encompassing. You must simply study it, learn from it, and try hard not to lose the same way again. Then you must have the self-control to forget about it. — John Wooden

John Wooden Quotes About Change

Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be. — John Wooden

Surround yourself with people strong enough to change your mind. — John Wooden

Any structure must have a strong foundation. The cornerstones anchor the foundation. For some reason the cornerstones that I chose to begin with I never changed. — John Wooden

Failure isn't fatal, but failure to change might be. — John Wooden

All change may not be progress, but all progress is the result of change — John Wooden

We can have no progress without change, whether it be basketball or anything else. — John Wooden

Although there is no progress without change, not all change is progress. — John Wooden

Failure is never fatal. But failure to change can and might be. — John Wooden

If we fail to adapt, we fail to move forward. — John Wooden

John Wooden Quotes About Practice

I continually stress to my players that all I expect from them at practice and in the games is their maximum effort. — John Wooden

When people ask me now if I miss coaching UCLA basketball games, the national championships, the attention, the trophies, and everything that goes with them, I tell them this: I miss the practices. — John Wooden

Condition comes from hard work during practice and proper mental and moral conduct between practices. — John Wooden

In the end, it's about the teaching, and what I always loved about coaching was the practices. Not the games, not the tournaments, not the alumni stuff. But teaching the players during practice was what coaching was all about to me. — John Wooden

Cervantes said the journey's better than the end. Practices, to me, were the journey. — John Wooden

Practice self-discipline and keep emotions under control. Good judgment and common sense are essential. — John Wooden

I don't think I was a fine game coach. I'm trying to be honest. I think I was a good practice coach. — John Wooden

Teaching players during practices was what coaching was all about to me. — John Wooden

My assistants and I often would spend more time planning a practice than the actual practice itself — John Wooden

Earlier in life, I put family in front of faith. I've fixed that. But I always tried to keep work fourth on the list. I was proud when [my wife] Nellie told an interviewer, 'I never could tell whether John had a good practice or a bad practice, because he never brought it home' — John Wooden

John Wooden Quotes About Inspirational

Never lie; never cheat; never steal. Don't whine; don't complain; don't make excuses. — John Wooden

Being a role model is the most powerful form of educating...too often fathers neglect it because they get so caught up in making a living they forget to make a life. — John Wooden

Being a role model is the most powerful form of educating. Youngsters need good models more than they need critics. It's one of a parent's greatest responsibilities and opportunities. — John Wooden

It's not how big you are, it's how big you play. — John Wooden

Remember this, the choices you make in life, make you. — John Wooden

Your energy and enjoyment, drive and dedication will stimulate and greatly inspire others. — John Wooden

Be quick, but don't hurry. — John Wooden

Make every day your masterpiece. — John Wooden

Make today your master piece. — John Wooden

Don't look for the big, quick improvement. Seek the small improvement one day at time. That's the only way it happens-and when it happens, it lasts. — John Wooden

John Wooden Quotes About Important

There are many things that are essential to arriving at true peace of mind, and one of the most important is faith, which cannot be acquired without prayer. — John Wooden

It's not so important who starts the game but who finishes it. — John Wooden

The most important thing in the world is family and love. — John Wooden

Profound responsibilities come with teaching and coaching. You can do so much good–or harm. It’s why I believe that next to parenting, teaching and coaching are the two most important professions in the world. — John Wooden

Next to love, balance is the most important thing. — John Wooden

What you are as a person is far more important than what you are as a basketball player. — John Wooden

It's important to keep trying to do what you think is right no matter how hard it is or how often you fail. Never stop trying — John Wooden

The importance of repetition until automaticity cannot be overstated. Repetition is the key to learning. — John Wooden

Passion is temporary. It doesn't last long. Love is enduring. And that's the important thing. If we all had love in our lives to the degree that we should, it would be much happier. — John Wooden

Character is more important than any other leadership trait. — John Wooden

John Wooden Quotes About Players

A player who makes a team great is better than a great player. — John Wooden

Team spirit means you are willing to sacrifice personal considerations for the welfare of all. That defines a team player. — John Wooden

I do not want players who do not have a keen desire to win and do not play hard and aggressively to accomplish that objective. — John Wooden

Although I wanted my players to work to win, I tried to convince them they had always won when they had done their best. — John Wooden

Good players can take coaching; great players can take coaching and learn. — John Wooden

I talked to the players and tried to make them aware of what was good and bad, but I didn't try to run their lives. — John Wooden

We may not be the best conditioned team in the country, but our players think they are. — John Wooden

A coach's primary function should be not to make better players, but to make better people — John Wooden

I also wanted my basketball players to know that I really cared about them. Forget basketball; as a person, I cared, I cared about their family. — John Wooden

I always talked to my players about today. It's the only day that matters. — John Wooden

John Wooden Quotes About Mind

It is most difficult, in my mind, to separate any success, whether it be in your profession, your family, or as in my case, in basketball, from religion. — John Wooden

Acquire peace of mind by making the effort to become the best of which you are capable. — John Wooden

Success is peace of mind, a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming, and not just in a physical way: seek ye first the kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be yours as well. — John Wooden

Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable. — John Wooden

Success is peace of mind in knowing you did your best. — John Wooden

There is a choice you have to make in everything you do. So keep in mind that in the end, the choice you make, makes you. — John Wooden

We are many, but are we much? — John Wooden

Be slow to correct and quick to commend. — John Wooden

Be quick but do not hurry. — John Wooden

John Wooden Famous Quotes And Sayings

Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. — John Wooden

Nothing will work unless you do. — John Wooden

Don't mistake activity for achievement. — John Wooden

The most powerful leadership tool you have is your own personal example. — John Wooden

There is no substitute for hard work. If you're looking for the easy way, if you're looking for the trick, you might get by for a while, but you will not be developing the talents that lie within you. There is simply no substitute for work. — John Wooden

Every person under your supervision is different. They're all different. They're identical in most ways, but not in all ways. You have to study and analyze every individual under your supervision and try to work with them in a way that will be most productive. — John Wooden

It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. — John Wooden

Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character. — John Wooden

Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be. — John Wooden

Sports do not build character. They reveal it. — John Wooden

It is amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit. — John Wooden

I am not as good as I ought to be. I am not as good as I want to be. I am not as good as I'm going to be. But I am thankful that I am better than I used to be. — John Wooden

You must have respect, which is a part of love, for those under your supervision. Then they will do what you ask and more. — John Wooden

Be true to yourself, help others, make each day your masterpiece, make friendship a fine art, drink deeply from good books - especially the Bible, build a shelter against a rainy day, give thanks for your blessings and pray for guidance every day. — John Wooden

If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes. — John Wooden

A strong leader accepts blame and gives the credit. A weak leader gives blame and accepts the credit. — John Wooden

Leaders must have patience for those under your supervision. Don't expect too much too soon. Maybe it was easy for you, but that doesn't mean it's going to be easy for somebody else. Be sure you have patience. — John Wooden

Be more concerned with what you can do for others than what others can do for you. You’ll be surprised at the results. — John Wooden

Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights. — John Wooden

Knowledge is not enough to get desired results. You must have the more elusive ability to teach and to motivate. This defines a leader; if you can't teach and you can't motivate, you can't lead. — John Wooden

Without proper self-evaluation, failure is inevitable. — John Wooden

Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability. — John Wooden

It matters not the subject taught, nor all the books on all the shelves, What matters most, yes most of all, is what the teachers are themselves. — John Wooden

1. Be on time. 2. Never criticize a teammate. 3. Never use profanity. — John Wooden

Perfection is impossibility but striving for perfection is not. Do the best you can. That is what counts. — John Wooden

There is no pillow as soft as a clear conscience. — John Wooden

It isn't what you do, but how you do it. — John Wooden

Every day, try to help someone who can't reciprocate your kindness. — John Wooden

You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you. — John Wooden

Make each day a masterpiece. Don't think your best days are out there somewhere. Why not today? Why can't today be a great day? It can if you believe it will. — John Wooden

Don't let making a living prevent you from making a life. — John Wooden

You must believe in what you're doing, that what you're doing is the proper thing, the right thing. And you must have faith that things will end up as they should, which doesn't mean as you want them to, but things will work out as they should. — John Wooden

You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one. — John Wooden

Good things take time, as they should. We shouldn't expect good things to happen overnight. Actually, getting something too easily or too soon can cheapen the outcome. — John Wooden

Young people need models, not critics... — John Wooden

Each of us must make the effort to contribute to the best of our ability according to our individual talents. And then we put all the individual talents together for the highest good of the group. Understanding that the good of the group comes first is fundamental to being a highly productive member of a team. — John Wooden

No one is an overachiever. How can you rise above your level of competency? Everyone is an underachiever to different degrees. The harder you work, the more luck you will have. — John Wooden

Flexibility is the key to stability. — John Wooden

Build shelter against a rainy day. — John Wooden

I'd rather have a lot of talent and a little experience than a lot of experience and a little talent. — John Wooden

Being a role model is the most powerful form of educating — John Wooden

Today is the only day. Yesterday is gone. — John Wooden

It takes time to create excellence. If it could be done quickly, more people would do it. — John Wooden

The Good Lord in his infinite wisdom, did not create us all equal when it comes to size, strength, appearance, or various aptitudes. But success is not being better than someone else, success is the peace of mind that is a direct result of self-satisfacti on in knowing that you gave your best effort to become the best of which you are capable. — John Wooden

As a leader, you must be filled with energy and eagerness, joy and love for what you do. If you lack enthusiasm for your job, you cannot perform to the best of your ability. Industriousness is unattainable without Enthusiasm. — John Wooden

Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings everyday. — John Wooden

The greatest failure of all is the failure to act when action is needed — John Wooden

Adversity is the state in which man most easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then. — John Wooden

We can agree to disagree, but we don’t need to be disagreeable. — John Wooden

Make a decision! Failure to act is often the biggest failure of all. — John Wooden

Reverse the ball one time for a good shot, two times for a great shot, three times for a layup. — John Wooden

You are not a failure until you start blaming others for your mistakes — John Wooden

The individual who is mistake-free is also probably sitting around doing nothing. And that is a very big mistake. — John Wooden

Some of my greatest pleasures have come from finding ways to overcome obstacles. — John Wooden

Promise to think only the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best from yourself and others. — John Wooden

The better conditioned team will probably win in the long run. — John Wooden

Understand there is a price to be paid for achieving anything of significance. You must be willing to pay the price. — John Wooden

Life Lessons by John Wooden

1. John Wooden believed that success was not measured by wins and losses, but rather by effort and dedication. He taught that hard work and dedication to the team was more important than individual success.
2. He also taught that success was not just about achieving your goals, but also about learning from your mistakes and having the courage to try again.
3. Finally, he believed that success was not just about winning, but also about developing character and having integrity in everything you do.