Reservist Magazine is the award-winning official publication of the United States Coast Guard Reserve. Quarterly issues include news and feature articles about the men and women who comprise America's premier national maritime safety and security
Issue link: https://uscgreservist.epubxp.com/i/635271
ReseRvist Magazine headquaRteRs update From the Offce of Boat Forces Submitted by Mr. Donald P. Hartmayer, Program Analyst, CG-731 Building Blocks for Success The winter is upon us and the basketball season is in full swing. It has been said that "Sports imitate life" and in both there is success and failure. In sports, it's often easy to see what leads to one or the other. Studying the actions, which lead to either success or failure, makes learning happen. Famous UCLA men's basketball coach John Wooden is best known for winning 10 national championships in a 12-year period as well as winning a then-record 88 consecutive games; an impressive record of success and worthy of some study. Examined closer, you learn that Wooden was also a three-time All-American basketball player at Purdue University. Whatever his approach was to basketball, it worked for him both as a player and as a coach. Early in his career, in addition to his coaching duties, Wooden taught English. With an undergraduate degree in English and a master's in education, he considered himself a teacher first and a coach second. It was as a teacher that he came up with the idea for "The Pyramid of Success"—a concept that took more than a decade to complete. If you want to study Wooden's success and learn a few lessons that can be applied to your own situation, I suggest focusing your attention on this pyramid. Wooden's Pyramid of Success includes 15 building blocks that, at least in his mind, lead to success. The cornerstones of the pyramid are industriousness and enthusiasm. Wooden says about industriousness, "There is no substitute for work. Worthwhile things come from hard work and careful planning." And about enthusiasm he writes, "Your heart must be in your work." But those are just the cornerstones. Wooden's 13 other building blocks of success, with his description of each, are: 1. Friendship— Comes from mutual esteem, respect, and devotion. A sincere liking for all. 2. Loyalty— To yourself and to all those dependent on you. Keep your self-respect. 3. Cooperation— With all levels of your coworkers. Help others, and see the other side. 4. Self-Control— Emotions under control. Delicate adjustments between mind and body. Keep judgment and common sense. 5. Alertness— Be observing constantly. Be quick to spot a weakness and correct it or use it as the case may warrant. 6. Initiative— Cultivate the ability to make decisions and think alone. Desire to excel. 54 RESERVIST � Issue 1 • 2016