Page 184 - How to Create a Winning Organization

Wooden on Leadership
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The third boy lasted until he got the switch—one time. Now it
was my turn.
“What about you, Johnny, will you sing?” Mr. Warriner asked.
“No,” I snapped. He asked again, “Are you sure about that?” I
shook my head back and forth. I was very sure. I got the switch.
“Will you sing now, Johnny?” he asked. I shook my head again,
“No!” Again the switch, and this time it stung; my eyes started
watering.
“Johnny, will you sing now?” Mr. Warriner asked patiently. My
resolve had weakened but not my attitude. “I’ll try,” I replied sul-
lenly. That wasn’t good enough. Once again I got the switch.
“OK, OK, I’ll sing, Mr. Warriner!” I shouted out at the same
moment the boy next in line exclaimed, “Me too, Mr. Warriner. I
like to sing!”
Never was our morning song sung with more gusto than on that
day. Even now I can hear the five of us, highly motivated, filling
the classroom with song.

THE BEST MOTIVATOR?
There are times when threat of penalty is effective for both school-
boys and adults. Most often, however, a leader resorts to punish-
ment because he lacks an understanding of its limitations as well
as the skills necessary to create motivation based on pride rather
than fear. (Mr. Warriner was skilled in all forms of motivation.)
You might say that a leader has a simple mission: to get those
under his supervision to consistently perform at their peak level in
ways that benefit the team. Your skills as a motivator determine if,
and to what degree, this occurs.
I came to the conclusion that when choosing between the car-
rot and the stick as a motivational tool, the well-chosen carrot was
almost always more powerful and longer lasting than the stick. In