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Wooden on Leadership
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may least expect it. Your job as a leader is to get the best from each
member of your unit, to tap into that concealed reservoir of talent.
A leader who effectively taps into potential is potent.

ON WOODEN
Doug McIntosh: UCLA Varsity, 1964–1966;
two national championships

THE POWER OF POTENTIAL
”You can always do more than you think you can.” That’s the
biggest thing I got from Coach Wooden’s teaching. There’s al-
ways more inside if you’re willing to work hard enough to
bring it out.
Most of the time we don’t recognize we have great poten-
tial inside. Coach brought out the potential in people. He
taught mental readiness: “Be ready and your chance may
come. If you’re not ready, it may not come again.”
Thus, he made me see there are no small opportunities.
Every opportunity is big. If you only play for two minutes,
make it the best two minutes possible. That’s your opportu-
nity, whether in basketball or in life. Be ready; make the most
of it. It may not come again.
In 1964 I was on the UCLA bench at the start of 29 con-
secutive games. The thirtieth game was against Duke for the
national championship. When it started, I was on the bench
just like the previous 29 games. And I was ready. Everybody
on Coach Wooden’s bench was ready.
Five minutes into the championship game, Coach gave me