Pyramid of Success
John Wooden
The 25 Building Blocks of the
Pyramid of Success
-Block 1: Industriousness
"In plain and simple English this means hard work. Very hard work. There is no substitute for very hard work when it comes to success."
There has never been a case where someone reached
success with no hard work. As a matter in fact those people that are successful
had many obstacles in life. Hard work pays off, when you least expect it. It is
a matter of how bad to want to succeed or achieve something or at something. If
you want something in life you have to get out there and get it. Nothing will
fall from the sky to please us, instead we will be thrown rocks at. It is up to
one self whether to keep walking or not. For example is you want to pass a math
test , but instead of studying you go on social media, then your results won’t
be the way you expect them to be.
"Success is no accident. It is hard work,
perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you
are doing or learning to do."
~Pele~
Block 2:Enthusiasm
"It is the engine that powers all blocks of the
Pyramid. It is why I chose Industriousness and Enthusiasm as the cornerstones
of my Pyramid of Success. It is where everything begins."
Hard work is not enough, it must be inspired by
something. to raise to the level of extra ordinary required for success. That
should be your enthusiasm. It is how much or how bad you really want something
that your eager or interest will get you there. For example i could wan the
best makeup, the best brushes, or a makeup vanity. I may work hard for it but
if I just do it to be competitive with others girls then my inner interest will
be very low. But if I really want it for myself to store my makeup because i
know i need it and that is a goal then my interest is not the same i will work
harder to know that at the end it was all a goal , a dream, a wish...etc. Only
one self can define whether we are obligated to do something or not. If you are
not interested in the hard work you are putting in then change something about
it or maybe that is not for you.
"There is a certain enthusiasm in liberty, that
makes human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism."
~Alexander Hamilton~
Block 3: Friendship
"Comes from mutual esteem, respect and
devotion. Like marriage it must not be taken for granted but requires a joint
effort."
I believe there are various kinds and degrees of Friendship based
on a wide range of appreciations. We may have an acquaintance with whom we are
friendly because of a shared interest in politics or sports; another whose
humor we enjoy, some may be golfing, bowling, or fishing buddies; perhaps we
have an old friend from high school whom we haven't seen in 20 years. All are friends
in different and good ways - but not in the way I mean Friendship. The
two qualities of Friendship so important for a leader to possess and
instill in team members are respect and camaraderie. To me these are the
most noteworthy characteristics of true Friendship as it pertains to
leadership.
Block 4: Loyalty
"To yourself and to all those depending upon
you. Keep your self-respect."
Being loyal
to someone is sticking by someone and respecting them no matter what. Being
loyal in a relationship means being committed. You cannot go off going and
sneaking around with other people. That is being disloyal and it is wrong and
disrespectful to your partner. That just shows how heartless of a person you
are because you are putting your selfish acts first. Being loyal in a
friendship means sticking by that person’s side no matter what and not going
behind their back. When you are friends with someone, it is important to show
loyalty because without that, they won't trust you. Being loyal to everything
else means to stay committed and not cheats your way through it.
Block 5: Cooperation
"with all levels of your co-workers. Listen if you want to be heard. Be interested in finding the best way , not having your own way."
operation is important because it means you are
willing to be a productive collaborator, meaning you are willing to work with
others to get the job done. Cooperation also brings many good qualities forward
about you, it let's you create friendships, it let's people know you are
reliable, it shows that you want to succeed to get something done, it shows
that you are able to listen to others ideas and you have an open mind about
things. Cooperation sometimes may not be easy because of others and how they work
but it also let's you go through tough situations and let you figure them out.
Some people may find an inner leader in themselves, not a leader who takes
control of everything but a leader who lets people know when they have to step
up, a leader who has an open mind and let's others ideas come in other than
blocking everything out and doing it their own way, that is not cooperation.
Block 6: Ambition
For noble goals
Ambition is a very good skill to have in the real world
To be
ambition a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring
determination and hard work. Ambition describes those that achieve success
based on their inner desire to do so and their belief in them. Ambition in
itself may not be a key to success. Successful, ambitious people need both
energy and goals to succeed. Someone with plenty of energy but no goals may
find themselves pursuing one opportunity after another without success,
wondering what it is that they are wanting out of life. Someone with goals but
no energy may find themselves wanting to achieve success, but too complacent to
do the work to go about pursing their goals. They might also start projects but
quit when the work becomes too hard or too much for them. Ambition is not
a requirement for success for some people. Many unambitious people would
describe success as accepting what life has to offer and making the most out of
it.
Block 7: Self-Control
"Practice
self-discipline and keep emotions under control. Good judgement and common
sense are essential."
"Practice
self-discipline and keep emotions under control. Good judgement and common
sense are essential." Self Control basically means what it says to be able
to control yourself. Self Control not only means to be able to control yourself
physically but it also means to be able to control yourself mentally. Self
Control mentally means that if somebody gets you angry, you do not lash
out at them, you do not go and beat them up. Self Control is being able to be
patient, you know how to wait for things and you do not rush. Self control is
being able to do what you want and not let others peer pressure you into
something you do not want to do.
Block 8 Alertness: “Be observing constantly. Stay
open-minded. Be eager to learn and improve." To be alert means to always
be aware, aware of your surroundings and how other people around you are
acting. Alertness can also mean concentration, concentration in being aware. When
you are alert it takes off stress because you know what’s around you and do not
have to be constantly thinking or worrying about something happening without
you knowing. By being aware you can also learn lots of things. You can learn
lots of things about your surrounding and the people and objects around you.
Goal setting is a way of being alert, you are being alert because you know what
you want and how you want it and how you are going to get it.
Block 9 Initiative: "Cultivate the ability to make decisions and
think alone. Do not be afraid of failure, but learn from it." you may hear
some people say take initiative this means to take charge. You may meet people
in life who do not put in as much work as you do and you are forced to work
with them but you must take charge and do whatever it is to get them to do
work. If they do not start they're work then you take initiative to tell
someone about it so you won't receive the consequences that you do or did
not deserve. Initiative not only counts for when you are working with others
but also knowing how to take initiative for your own life and being able to
know how you will succeed and how to get wherever you want to get to reach that
place of success for yourself. Try to think about times when you could
Block 10: Intentness
"Set a realistic goal. Concentrate on its achievement by resisting all temptations. Be determined and persistent."
Set a realistic goal. Concentrate on its achievement
by resisting all temptations. Be determined and persistent."
Intentness means determination, I believe determination is very important
because without being determined to something you are not really trying to
succeed at it. Determination means you have a passion toward succeeding
something, without you have no passion and it means that it is not important to
you and it is a matter of which if you have time or not you will succeed it.
Although getting to something may be hard never give up. Instead of giving up
try to figure out what you are doing wrong and change your plans to make it
better. Setting a goal takes determination so even being by doing that you are
showing intentness. For example when playing softball I make sure I show
determination when I go up to bat I say to myself "you are going to hit
the ball" I used to doubt my self but I know that without self confidence
I will not get better nor will I succeed.
Block 11 Sincerity: Keeps Friends. Sincerity means to be truthful in a way where
you know you are not hurting people. Sincerity means to not be a hypocrite, you
do not judge others based on looks or the way they act. I believe I am a very
sincere person. Sincerity means to have a positive attitude and to be positive
towards others. You are also very supportive when it is something good that
your friends or people around you do. Sincerity is important because it helps
build a high level of trust, sincere people are usually very easy to trust and
very easy to talk to because they try to understand what a person is going
through.
Block 12: Adaptability
To any situation
You have never changed
your mind about some fundamental tenet of your belief, if you have never questioned the
basics, and if you have no wish to do so, then you are likely
ignorant.
Before it is too late, go out there and find someone who, in your opinion,
believes, assumes, or considers certain things very strongly and very
differently from you, and just have a basic honest conversation.
Block 13: Condition
"Mental-Moral-Physical.
Rest, exercise and diet must be considered. Moderation must be practiced.
Dissipation must be eliminated."
You must be
in physical Condition, but you must also have mental and moral Condition. All
three are components in this block of the Pyramid because you can't have one
without the others. Weak mental or moral Condition precludes top physical
Condition. Some observers felt that our players had top physical Condition.
That was only part of it. They also had top mental and moral Condition. I
reminded them, the players, of their responsibility to achieve Condition with
this little rhyme:" There is a choice you have to make, In everything you
do.
So keep in mind that in the end, The choice you make makes you. "If you
make the right choices you will achieve Condition
Block 14: Skill
"A knowledge of and the ability to properly and
quickly execute the fundamentals. Be prepared and cover every little
detail."
The range
of Skills necessary for leadership, of course, differs from job to job and
organization to organization. Those skills required to manage a small
business differ from those needed to lead a Fortune 500 company, just as skills
needed for coaching basketball differ from those necessary for coaching
baseball. But regardless of the specific skills required in a profession, you
must master all of them. Mastery of skills requires learning and it
is my opinion that great leaders are lifelong learners. They also take measures
to create an organization that fosters and inspires learning
throughout. The most effective leaders are those who realize it's what you
learn after you know it all that counts most. Skill is located in the
exact center of my Pyramid because it is at the heart of performance at a level
of competitive greatness."
Block 15: Team Spirit
"A genuine consideration for others. An
eagerness to sacrifice personal interests of glory for the welfare of
all."
People work together effectively to achieve a common target. Every individual must be involved in making the decisions
of what to do in a certain project or tasks given. Team members should have listening skills so that they could listen to other member's ideas. Members should be respecting of each other in order to achieve teamwork. Team spirit means to want to work with others and to be willing collaborators and to be very optimistic when working with others.
Block 16: Honesty
In thought and action
Honesty has to be practiced everyday in everything
you do. Honesty is important because it creates peace of mind and promotes
relationships of trust. Being an honest can help you as a person in any aspect
of your life. Being an honest person can make it easy for you to make friends
because other people know they can trust you. Honesty can also make you
responsible, you are able to tell the truth of when you have and have not done
something. As honest person you know how to tell people the truth when you are
trying to help them out because they have done something wrong. Being an Honest
person is very good, but sometimes being an honest person can make people not
like you. As an honest person you have to know to what extent you can tell the
truth and sometimes there are certain ways you have to tell the truth and you
have to know them. Because there are times when you cannot tell the
truth.
Block 17 Resourcefulness: Proper Judgement.
Ability to find and use available resources to achieve goals. Being resourceful
means to be able to achieve something with whatever is around you. People tend
to use what they have around them to succeed. For example some people have connections
after college and they use that to get jobs. That is why it is so good to put
forward your best self, so that people may want to get to know you, and the
more people you know the better. When putting yourself out there make sure you
show them that you are responsible and trustworthy because those are two major
qualities a person looks for. Make the most from what you have.
Block 18 Poise: Poise is the way you walk,
the way you carry yourself, the thought you’ve put into your personal style. It
makes people perceive you in a positive way. It shows people that you are
confident in yourself, not cocky but confident. People with poise know how to
keep themselves calm when under stress, people with poise are noticed what I
mean by this is that they make themselves be known in a positive way when they
are in a room full of people. Poise can also mean to have manners one part of
poise that many people get noticed for is posture, having good posture can make
everything easier, not having good posture is like saying you are carrying all
your stress on your back. Lots of ballet dancers are known to have poise. When
they are on sage in front of a big audience they have to make the little
movements they do look big. They make themselves be known when they are on that
stage.
Block 19 Confidence: "Respect without
fear. May come from being prepared and keeping all things in proper
perspective." Confidence is very important because without you do not
believe in yourself and if you do not believe in yourself then you cannot
accomplish anything. In softball I have learned that you need to be confident
in yourself or else you will not get better, you have to be positive about
yourself and say I know I can do this. A confident sets goals for themselves
and they make a list of how to achieve it, they not only set goals for
themselves but they also challenge themselves and give them a certain amount of
time to achieve some of them.
Block 20: Reliability
reliability has to do with the quality of
measurement. In its everyday sense, reliability is the "consistency"
or "repeat ability" of your measures. Before we can define
reliability precisely we have to lay the groundwork. First, you have to learn
about the foundation of reliability, the true score theory
of measurement. Along with that, you need to understand the different types of
measurement error because errors in measures play a key role in
degrading reliability. With this foundation, you can consider the basic theory of
reliability, including a precise definition of reliability. There you will
find out that we cannot calculate reliability -- we can only estimate it.
Because of this, there a variety of different types of reliability that
each have multiple ways to estimate reliability for that type. In the end, it's
important to integrate the idea of reliability with the other major criteria
for the quality of measurement -- validity -- and develop an understanding
of the
relationships between reliability and validity in measurement.
Block 21 Fight: Determined Effort. Fight
does not necessarily mean to fight but it means to be strong and to be
determined. It means to fight through all the way to the finish and not give
up. Athletes must have the "fight" in them no matter if they are
losing. If you want to reach success you have to have the fight in you.
You want something so bad that no matter what it takes you will try to succeed.
Bruce Lee says " Do not pray for the easy life, pray for the strength to
endure a difficult one". To me this means that you must be ready for
whatever comes to you in life and be ready to fight through it a
Block 22 Competitive Greatness: Competitive
greatness is important because if you are not
Competitive then somebody else will always be ahead
of you. You have to be willing to fight for what you want and be able to make
it to the end. Competitive greatness means to always be great and always do
your best no matter what. A teacher once told me that once you stop doing your
best someone will always be there to get ahead of you. Continuing to do
your best will make you better. Like one of my teachers once quoted Good,
Better, Best, Never Ever Rest Until your Good is Better and your Better is
Best.
Block 23 Integrity: Purity of Intention.
Integrity means to have strong moral principles and the quality of being
honest. Integrity is to be trustworthy, people know that they are able to trust
you with personal things. People who have integrity always tell the truth no
matter what. If you know you have done something wrong you always tell the
truth and you take responsibility for what you have done. You also take
responsibility for telling the truth about others when you know it is
necessary. At the end of the day a person with integrity is a honest person. A
person who takes responsibility and is very truthful. Integrity is important to
have when you want to be a leader and when you want to be leader, it is a trait
you would like to show to other people that way they can learn from you as
well.
Block 24 Faith: Many
people believe that having faith means to have faith in god. In my point of
view faith means to to believe in yourself nobody else will believe in you. It
means to trust yourself. Have confidence when trying to achieve your goals and
know that the only way you will get to them is by hard work and only hard work.
Faith to me means to have confidence in not only myself, I also have faith that
the people and things that surround me and hope or know that these things or
people will benefit me for the better. If I do not have faith in choosing the
people who surround me then no good will come out of them and neither will they
support me or have faith in me a real friend should have towards another true
friend. Faith has to be bigger than fear. When you are fearful of
something you automatically lose that power you had when you are not afraid. Do
not be afraid to follow your gut sometimes, sometimes it may good but you also
have to know how to have faith that
you are making the correct decision.
Block 25 Patience: Patience is a key to success
because without it you will not have discipline towards your actions. A person
has to know how to wait because if not then sometimes nothing good will come
out of it. With patience you avoid making quick and unsure decisions. Patience
also helps you with other people, it helps you be empathetic. Patience makes
you a healthier person, it helps take away stress and anger that results from a
person not being patient. Patience also helps when a person is trying to become
better at something, without patience a person will give up right away. Getting
better at something takes time so you need patience if you want to succeed.
Almost every aspect of your life needs patience especially the part of
yourself, you can never give up on yourself.
Reflection: The building blocks of this pyramid of success benefit me because
they are teaching me ways on how to be successful. This pyramid of success
shows me things like the importance of loyalty, taking initiative, cooperation
etc. These 3 blocks that I mentioned were the ones that stood out to me the
most, loyalty stood out to me in order to be successful you have to loyal to
other people like your boss and the most important person you have to be loyal
to is to yourself. The second that stood out to me was taking initiative, this
means to take a stand and be a leader. The third that stood out to me was
cooperation, cooperation is important because in a team you have to work
together everybody has to cooperate, even by yourself you have to be cooperative
which means to be able to do what someone tells you and for your work to be at
a good level. Those are the 3 building block of success that stood out to
me the most.
