Scarlett Gratias Sandburg Middle School Honors English and Honors History Ninth Grade Honors Placement Exam In times of need and distress, we, as a people, need a just and righteous leader who possesses certain qualities that can better the world. A leader who has these qualities can improve the world and change it to benefit the greater good, allowing societies to prosper, living in a perpetual state of peace and true happiness. However, a leader without moral qualities could potentially harm society. Pain and suffering could run rampant throughout the world, resulting in the destruction of all that was good. In the article, “Revisiting the Remarkable Legacy of John Wooden, the Greatest Coach of the All,” John Wooden, an accomplished basketball …show more content…
First of all, John Wooden presents the ideal qualities of a good leader by giving the players control. For example, during games, Wooden provided his players with an enormous amount of freedom. In the article “Revisiting the Remarkable Legacy of John Wooden,” Davis writes, “He [Wooden] didn’t want them looking over to the bench for instructions from him. He rarely called time outs. [he wanted to] give them their best chance to maximize their potential”(Davis paragraphs one and two). In this quotation, we can see that Wooden did not want his players relying solely on him to determine how the game should be played. It is evident that Wooden had trust and faith in his players, and that they would make the correct decisions, and if they made the wrong decisions, Wooden would still accept that they tried. By providing his players with this sense of freedom, he allows them to control their own lives and the outcome of the game. He gives them the opportunity to make mistakes, and thus grow and improve from them and refine their character. If an individual is able to refine their character and improve, then they can better society as a whole, contributing to the betterment of the …show more content…
We only decide to take action or fight when we care about something; there is no reason to do otherwise. Naturally, an effective leader would want their people to care, to feel passionate, to fight for what they believe is right, for with followers that care, the entirety of the group will become stronger, and can accomplish more. Life can be improved for everyone if the people are passionate about a moral cause, and thus an ideal leader would want their followers to care. In Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins, Katniss Everdeen possesses this quality of leadership. For example, when the nation is torn by the brutalities of war, with suffering, destruction, and pain plaguing the citizens of both the Capital and Districts, Katniss Everdeen creates propaganda, despite her wishes not to do so, to influence the people of the districts to care for the cause and take action. She prioritizes the needs of the country and the future of her world over her own safety, for she herself is passionate about the cause. With the propaganda, Katniss is able to encourage others to care and fight for what they believe is right: eradicating the unethical dictatorship and required events that it instills. Both Katniss and Wooden possess this quality, knowing that by encouraging others to
Jim Valvano, otherwise known as “Jimmy V”, was a college basketball player, coach, and broadcaster. This paper will cover Jimmy and define his true leadership qualities. Jimmy was an icon in the sports world not only for his coaching ability. He taught the world that leaders need a vision, leaders need to connect with their followers, and that leaders learn from their followers. Jimmy defied the rules and transformed his players into exceptionally good players and even better people. He taught more than basketball to his players and reached outside of his coaching arena to touch the lives of people across the world.
In the following essay, I will argue that Herbert “Herb” Brooks was a charismatic leader due to his powerful motivation and his high expectations. He expected great things from the players he coached, but mostly, he expected them to think of the team and not themselves. He motivated with a powerful punch, mostly through fear, but was able to unite his teams and eventually the country.
Written by Edward Ward and published in 1706, the Wooden World Dissected explains the inside of a ship that most people do not get to see. The ship and the people in it are supposed to represent the makeup of the Royal Navy. He begins the book with a letter explaining how he wants to inform the reader with more information than they could get from looking at a picture. This leads the reader to believe that he is going to write a book full of dull facts, however he writes a satire. He describes everyone, from the Sea Captain all the way down the ladder to the common sailor. He uses comparisons, descriptions of relationships and character, and his own voice to paint a picture of a life aboard a ship in the mid fifteenth to early sixteenth century.
“Be more concerned with you character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” These words of John Wooden are just a few out of many wise quotes millions of people, not just athletes, are inspired by today and likely will continue to be inspired by for a very long time. Basketball fans and experts consider John Wooden as one of, if not, the greatest coaches of all time. Much of his success is a result of his beliefs and coaching system. Knowing the background of Coach Wooden’s playing and coaching career plays a significant role in understanding how he practiced his beliefs with his teams and how his philosophy and success intertwined to set a precedent for the remainder of collegiate basketball.
Most people think that being a leader is all about prestige, loyalty, or fame. While being a leader certainly is a great confidence and social status booster, there is more to being a leader than these. Being a leader requires passion, dedication, time, effort, and most importantly hard work. I would like to make myself believe that leaders are made and not born and that hard work can spell the difference between an immature and a holistically effective leader. The objective of this paper is to discuss by knowledge, belief system, and perception of leadership in relation to Bleachers by John Grisham which outlines the leadership story of Coach Eddie Rake and how he handled his team through thick and thin and through the greatest leadership challenges, towards success; to outline which character in the story I see myself in; and to characterize what type of leader I want me to be not in the future, but as early as now.
When somebody thinks of a person that went against the world or changed it, some specific ones come to their mind like Abraham Lincoln or Martin Luther King Jr. These people fought for civil right. Though it was hard for them to overcome it, they had lots of support. John Wooden actually also was a famous person that was for civil rights. In 1947 his team was invited to the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball National Tournament in Kansas. (Former) They said in the contract that no African Americans were allowed in the tournament, so John Wooden turned the offer down citing that the policy they used was unfair to a player on his team Clarence Walker. He stood ground for his African American player and also went against the world in another way. (Former) He went against the world of basketball. “The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.” -John Wooden.(My Personal Best 23) This quote represents what John Wooden believed in, how he thought, and how he wanted people to act. He believed that hard-work was the only way to get things done. The world saw that he worked hard and did everything to the best he could, but they did not believe that he would become the greatest basketball coach of all time. John Wooden showed the world that he would try and succeed by working hard as a young child, making a new coaching technique, and breaking many records in basketball as a coach.
in leadership can be traced to his character which is shaped by his moral values and
While not every cause is worth fighting for, notable men like; Huckleberry Finn, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, Atticus Finch, and Ralph from Lord of the Flies recognize that when something’s worth fighting for, one needs to sacrifice for those thing bigger than them. Hence, men who have empathy along with selflessness, honor and integrity can be a leader for a cause they believe in.
Captains of sports teams are given the stereotype that they are the most athletic player on the team, scoring the most goals and handling the ball best. In truth, captains have a lot of work they have to do that doesn’t even involve playing the sport. Captains are the most looked at player of the game; other players, younger kids and coaches look to them to set examples. They have to set examples in every aspect of the game; athleticism might be part of their job but it is not limited to it. The captain of any sports team must set the leadership standard for commitment, confidence, intelligence, and attitude.
Throughout the book “Leading with the Heart,” I read about prime examples of the following leadership theories: transformational leadership, trait theory, behavioral theory, and situational leadership. He recommended that leaders begin with the trait theory when beginning the selection process when starting his or her organization. In chapter one and as well as chapter two, Coach K refers to coachable players. Meaning, players or members that do not mind being taught and learning; willing to take a back seat to someone else in charge. Establish right away in the first meeting the only rule for the team: “Don’t do anything that’s detrimental to yourself, because if it is detrimental to you, it will be detrimental to our program (Krzyzewski, 2000, p.4). He reiterates that leaders must be very selective in this process, because the people you select represent you as the leader, and your company. In some cases leaders must sacrifice some skill and talent for people who have outstanding character. “Character and respect will outlast talent when talent can’t see past themselves.” Krzyzewski mentions that he will sign a kid who has the character of a leader and train them to gain the skill necessary down the road. I believe that this is why the Duke Men’s basketball program is very successful because he picks
One main responsibility is making decisions for the greater good. In the lady or the tiger it states “He did not hesitate nor waver in regard to his duty in the premises. The youth was immediately cast into prison, and a day was appointed for his trial in the king's arena.” (Stockton). This shows how making decisions for the greater good can have a negative outcome for the people not the leader.
As a college basketball player, I learned that being an effective leader did not mean that I had to be a constant bundle of energy. Rather, I realized over time it is more important to understand your teammates and what makes them tick, and to translate that knowledge into separate leadership styles to match each individual. This is crucial when working with an extremely diverse group of attitudes, personalities, and mindsets. I believe people would describe my style as steady, positive, and upbeat – opposite of my head coach in many ways. Countless times I would pull a teammate aside who had been berated and explain in a constructive
In order for a leader to be a leader, he/she must begin with the assumption that you are the one who matters most. As a leader you have to possess that level of confidence in yourself that you are capable of leading yourself “before you can lead others”. And when you develop this belief then you are better able to affirmatively influence “on others”. A leader needs to “believe” in himself and have the confidence that whatever you say will excite and what you do can motivate others. You must be optimistic about what you do, to have some relevance to being in existence.
As a growing debate, the question at hand is whether great leaders are born with specific leadership traits, or if one can be taught certain traits over time. According to (Wikipedia.com) the approach of listing leadership qualities, often termed "trait theory of leadership", assumes certain traits or characteristics will tend to lead to effective leadership. I believe that leadership traits such as honest, competent, initiative, inspiring, hardworking, intelligent, and the ability to lead the masses, are some of the leadership traits one should possess. Within this paper, I will examine the overall concept of leadership traits, while observing the traits that were, or can be associated with successful leaders.
In my view most important character of a good leader is that they must be compassionate. Having a personality of caring about people is important. You can?t be a good leader unless you generally like people. That is how you bring out the best in them. No matter what credential they have and how much experience they have in administration but without being compassionate they can't ever become a responsible and successful leader. For example Hitler is known for his cruelty and he had no feelings for his own race. He failed to understand the feelings of Jews and thus persecuted them. He also failed to know the fact that the strength of his country lies in them, while opposite is Mahatma Gandhi, a major political and spiritual leader of India, followed nonviolent actions, avoiding any bloodshed in the country during their struggle for Independence. Because of his compassionate nature many leaders in today's world has looked him upon. So leader must be compassionate first without being influence by any ulterior motive.