Question 1
John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success is still applicable to the current business environment. The pyramid named loyalty, team spirit, condition and skill present in the team. These attributes are essential to today’s business environment as they help nurture the relationship between the firm and its clients. The Pyramid of Success is applicable not only to basketball where Wooden was a coach but also in our day to day live. Through Wooden, we learned that the end is always a result of our doings and misdoings. Therefore, businesses that want to prosper in the long term should not spend time finding ways that will make them overnight winners. Instead, they should focus on building consistency that is demanded by the client, and that will set them apart from the competitors. Therefore Woodmen’s pyramid applies to business; it guides entrepreneurs’ to have patient and faith in themselves instead of looking for what is now termed as competitive greatness.
That is because; businesses always start small before expanding to become the giants that they now have (Wooden & Jamison, 42). Therefore, a person who patiently builds his business, with no greed for the big thing but is dedicated and committed to its growth will always reap at the end. That is unlike those that are greedy and find a way of making their businesses profit and expand quickly. Most of these establishments do not reach their full potential as they crumble under debt and poor management. Additionally, business leaders should treat their staff with respect, show them that they are valued and cared (Wooden, Carty & Runnette, 1-15). Doing so proves that the workers are critical and therefore, will be motivated to work for excellent results. These attributes are important to the current business workplace because;
Ensuring that young and your staff work towards a common goal helps develop respect for each other and therefore, ensuring that tasks are completed in time and that the output is of quality. The result of such a team spirit between the employer and workers is that the output is always of high quality.
Additionally, the pyramid shows that patience is vital in today’s business environment. Wooden is one of the greatest coaches in the world, and his players’ credit his patience as the reason for their exemplary performances in their games. Patience should also be applied to business; entrepreneurs should stop focusing on unsustainable quick-to-profit businesses but instead, nurture their businesses so that they emerge both sustainable and profitable.
Finally, Wooden was a great leader, and he possessed impressive leadership skills. He also listened to his players and listened to them outside the pitch and away from games. In the current business environment, leaders should cultivate leadership skills so that their staff will respect and listen to them. When a person of able leadership leads, success is guaranteed.
Question 2
Leaders have a lot of influence on the performance of their businesses or those that they lead. In fact, a group’s success is mostly linked to the leadership style exhibited. Factors such as temperament, motivation, expectations and thinking patterns have a profound influence on the performance of a group (Wooden and Jamison, Coach Wooden's leadership game plan for success: 12 lessons for extraordinary performance and personal excellence). For example, I credit myself with being a transformational leader. I not only want my staff to complete assignments, but I motivate them to do so and ensure that they get satisfaction out of their work.
I have many skills that have enabled me to become his type of a leader; among these are emotional intelligence, conflict resolution skills, and excellent communication skills among others. These traits have helped me become a motivating factor among those that I lead. We are in good terms and that provides the motivation needed to ensure that the staff tackles their assignments as necessary. Additionally, the fact that I possess emotional intelligence helps me handle my team; I know when they are encountering problems even without them telling me. Therefore, I find ways of getting them back on track without them feeling that am all over them. My communication skills have greatly influenced these. Problems encountered in the workplace are communicated to me, and solutions found before problems are magnified to enormous proportions. The fact that I am not also a temperamental person has also worked in my favor as my team finds me easily reachable. Therefore, we deal with issues as they arise enabling us to be successful and achieve our goals. All these factors improve my staff’s motivation hence the reason we continue to work together, satisfactorily.
The above-debated factors augur well with Wooden’s pyramid of success. That is demonstrated by the fact that the staff is highly motivated ensuring that their work is of high quality. That shows that my leadership skills are valued have played a huge role in making the company what it is currently.
Question 3
The pyramid lists fifteen traits that are necessary for one to be successful/. Among these are confidence, poise, industriousness, alertness, initiative, loyalty, skill, condition, self-control, friendship, team spirit, and cooperation among others. Some of the traits are necessary while others are not. For example, poise and friendship are not very important when searching for friendship. That is because they have the ability to drive a person away from the goal or realization because they can distract. Being alert, industrious, confident and possessing the required skills will ensure that the individual attains the success he desires (Wooden & Jamison, 66. Team spirit is also important as it ensures that every person in the team works towards a common goal, ensuring that it is achieved on time. Competitive advantage is also necessary because it enables on lord over present competitors in the chosen industry.
However, I do not find loyalty to be very significant. That is because it limits the people that one has to work with to realize success. Loyalty should be enforced among consumers or customers; businesses should find suppliers or partners that are willing to deliver quality resources, on time but with the limited resources. Self-control is also necessary as it ensures that the business developer works at a sustainable pace. Otherwise, the business may grow too fast such that it is unsustainable hence crumbling. Additionally, self-control provides correct and competitive pricing that is attractive to clients and yet, still profitable.
Question 4
Level 4
Competitive advantages- these will enable the business to compete favorably with others in the market. They include offering unique products, quality, durable and affordable to the target market. Also, the creation of market barriers to discourage the entry of new players.
Level 3
Presentation- the leader must be charismatic, even tempered, confidence in himself. Those led by such a leader will pick these traits from him and use them in their activities, making sure that their initiatives are successful.
Level 2
Skills- both the leaders and the team must be skilled and willing to learn from each other. Learning should not stop as it enforces conditioning and sharpening of the skills at hand, to ensure that the output is of high quality. Also, in that way, consistency will be guaranteed and with that, a loyal following of clients and stakeholders.
Level 1
Personal attributes motivation and leadership skills these include industriousness, initiative, self-control, leadership skills, enthusiasm, consistency, knowledge, and patience. These are mostly innate characteristics that a person that is bound to become successful must exhibit. Without these, such people will not build any business as they will keep postponing and neither will they become effective leaders for their teams.
Question 5
The Pyramid of Success has proven a mine of wisdom and valuable insights applicable to many instances in life, among them education and business. It can be used by self-directed team members solve issues as they come up in their project. Through the Pyramid, we learn that skills, consistency, and that leader should be willing to lead by example. By leading through example, the staff will be motivated to solve problems as they see their leader doing. Additionally, the type of leadership is highly motivating and rewarding for both the leader and the workers. Therefore, both groups will strive to solve problems as they occur. The fact that the project team members are self-directed will ensure that they build spirit, knowing that each person has an effect on the work. Therefore, all are leaders, and it is in their best interest to ensure that crisis is addressed on time so as not to stall the project. Wooden’s pyramid, which includes competitive advantage, initiative, team spirit, cooperation, and skills, will play a significant part in ensuring that the project is completed on time.
Works Cited
Wooden, John and Steve Jamison. Coach Wooden's leadership game plan for success : 12 lessons for extraordinary performance and personal excellence. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009.
Wooden, John and Steve Jamison. Wooden on leadership. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005.
Wooden, John, Jay Carty and Sean Runnette. Coach Wooden's pyramid of success : [building blocks for a better life]. Escondido : Christianaudio, 2010.
