Page 34 - How to Create a Winning Organization

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THE PYRAMID OF SUCCESS

“Ultimately, I wanted the Pyramid’s 15 building blocks
to define me as a leader.”

reating a written definition of success was a necessary ex-
Cercise when I started out because many parents came to me to
protest classroom grades or the roles I had assigned their sons on a
Dayton baseball or basketball team (the bench, most often).
I was increasingly upset, disgusted at times, to hear parents howl
about their child’s grade or role on the team when I knew it was
often the best the youngster could do. It was unfair to the child
and, in fact, counterproductive. How would you feel having
worked hard, studied diligently, and paid attention in class—done
your best—only to be called a loser? Most individuals, young or
old, would simply quit trying. I did not want those under my su-
pervision to ever quit trying.
As a coach I also recognized that I’d be judged to be successful
or not with a similar grading system—the percentage method—
without regard to circumstance, situation, or anything else. This,
as I have described, was exactly what happened in 1959–1960.
Had I helped those under my supervision come as close as pos-
sible to reaching their potential, doing their best? Had I done my

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