Page 194 - How to Create a Winning Organization

Wooden on Leadership
176
SUGGESTIONS TO LEAD BY

Pride Is Easier to Instill with the Carrot.
The best leaders perhaps understand this fact intuitively. Members
of an organization always fearful of penalty and punishment are at
a great disadvantage when competing against a team filled with
pride. This is so particularly over the long haul.

Make Sure All Praise Is Genuine and Appropriate.
Just as damaging as biting personal criticism is the compliment given
but not meant. Your praise will have impact only to the extent that
it is given honestly and in good faith. Anything else is usually per-
ceived as such and becomes counterproductive.

Do Not Tolerate Internal Carping and Criticism.
Leaders should be solely responsible for critiquing and criticizing
members of the team. The purpose of criticism is to correct, improve,
and change. It is not to humiliate, demean, or punish. It is a task that
requires great skill and judgment and is best left in the hands of able
management and coaches.

Don’t Lock Yourself into Rigid Penalties.
Successful leaders understand that it is important to have options.
This allows you to tailor the response to each situation. Still, when it
comes to the most important rules, it is wise to have clearly under-
stood penalties attached. Common sense, however, must always
have a place in your decisions. What is fair is more important than
what is right.