Page 105 - How to Create a Winning Organization

Use the Most Powerful Four-Letter Word
escape any disciplinary action. This was not true, but did reflect 87
that those under my supervision were not all treated the same.
The All-American he was referring to may have been Bill Wal-
ton, who consistently tested the limits of what was acceptable be-
havior. One afternoon before a rather important conference game
at USC (University of Southern California), Bill arrived at the team
bus looking unkempt.
Over the years my rule on dress and hygiene for traveling to
away games had changed from requiring a coat, tie, slacks, and
short hair to a more general rule: “a clean and neat appearance.”

FIRM AND FLEXIBLE
On this particular day, as Bill prepared to step onto our team bus,
he did not look “clean and neat”—keep in mind, this was during
the hippie era. I would not allow him on the bus and sent him
home. He had violated a rule I viewed as important, one that con-
nected to a bigger picture.
To have ignored his appearance would have sent a bad message
to his teammates: Bill Walton gets special treatment because he’s so
important. “Bill can break the rules, but you guys can’t.” This per-
ception not only creates dissension, in my opinion, but it soon
leads to others breaking any rule they want. Ultimately, no rules
matter, and everyone does whatever he or she wants.
On the other hand, when Bill became a vegetarian he requested
that he not be required to eat the team meals we served at our train-
ing table, which, of course, included steak. Even though I put a
great deal of thought into what was consumed by players before a
game and spelled it out right down to the size of the steak and how
it was cooked, I granted Bill’s special request.
To have allowed him to board the bus having violated my dress
and hygiene rule would have had ramifications beyond Bill and