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Wooden on Leadership
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didn’t call, Wilbur. I guess they wouldn’t budge on my request after
all. I accept your offer.”
What I didn’t know was that Minnesota had budged and de-
cided after long discussions to let me pick my own assistant coach
and to find Dave McMillan an acceptable job elsewhere in the ath-
letic department.
However, when officials tried to call me at exactly 6 p.m. with
the good news that I was going to be the next head coach of the
Minnesota Gophers, their phone lines were dead.
A spring blizzard had knocked out all telephone service in the
Twin Cities. By the time service was restored again and Minnesota
was able to get through to me—about 7:30 p.m.—it was too late.
Fate had made the first and final call. I had already given my word
to UCLA that I would be the next Bruins head basketball coach.
As much as I wished the conversation with Wilbur Johns had
not taken place, I couldn’t go back on my word. If your word is
nothing, you’re not much better. I remembered Dad’s simple ad-
vice in his Two Sets of Three: “Don’t lie, don’t cheat, don’t steal;
never whine, never complain, never make excuses.”
I followed his advice and example the night a fateful blizzard
moved me in a direction I didn’t want to go—California. I knew
exactly what Dad would have done in similar circumstance. I had
seen it when he lost the farm, when he took fate and made it his
friend.

YOU ARE YOUR WORD

When you say you’ll do it, do it. Don’t give your word unless
you intend to keep it. A leader whose promise means some-
thing is trusted. Trust counts for everything in leadership.