Best Of Andrew Hill and John Wooden's "Be Quick - But Don't Hurry!"

Here is a selection of memorable quotes from Be Quick - But Don’t Hurry!: Finding Success in the Teachings of a Lifetime by Andrew Hill with John Wooden 

[…] I firmly believe that the youth of today need role models more than critics […]

p.188

Managing creativity is a far tougher challenge that requires flexibility, the ability to react and change quickly as market conditions fluctuate, and the skill to empower and nurture fragile egos […] Everyone talks about the need to employ “out-of-the-box” thinkers, but managers must realize that most people with the capacity for original thought are not comfortable in tight and rigid structure. You need to find the balance between creativity and organization”

p.59

Coach was a great believer in quickness, which he explained by telling me, “when you learn something, you must be quick in implementing it. It’s like driving the freeway. You may know what to do, but if you don’t do it quickly, you may not be around very long.”

p.71

One other pitfall you must avoid is to become too enmeshed in the personal lives of your underlings. You should recognize the individuality of your people and treat them accordingly, but your values and expectations are the ones that matter, and they should be clear to everyone in your organization.

p.109-110

Executives and leaders in every business should strive for quickness in their work. Nothing holds back progress and deflates morale more than the slow and never-ending “maybe.” Commit to answers quickly and your staff will feel empowered to move forward. Affirmative responses always boost morale, but even if you decide not to move forward, your team will understand they need to develop a new strategy, and they will keep moving forward. Mistakes are inevitable, but mistakes made because you cannot commit to a path of action are unforgivable. Of course, part of this requires that you be equally quick to admit that you have made a mistake and then you must work as quickly as possible to rectify the problem.

p.74-75

Crediting others is of paramount importance when you’re involved in any creative endeavour. The people in your organization must feel your approval and support to do their best work

p.113

But as Coach would say, “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Character is what you really are; reputation is what you are perceived to be.”

p.114

But a leader who is secure that he alone will ultimately decide what direction to take is never threatened when some questions his decisions. In fact, a good leader is always open to revising the plan if someone can poke a hole in it or suggest a better alternative. If the boss’s door is closed to criticism, you can be sure that criticism will turn up in whispers at the water cooler and behind closed doors. But there’s a fine line that must be maintained; employees must understand that they’re totally free to challenge and question any decision, but they cannot be allowed to question your authority.

p.133

Balance in your personal life also lets you keep moving forward when things aren’t necessarily going your way. Haven’t you noticed that you can negotiate a better deal when you know that losing the deal isn’t the end of the world? Or that you do better in job interviews when you ask as many questions as you’re answering? When people perceive that you’re on the brink of a total meltdown, they can simply wait you out and watch you fall. But the strength and calm you project when you’re truly balanced make you far more powerful than when you come across as about to come unglued […] When you’re out of balance and overcommitted to a particular path, bad things can happen.

p.94-95

Secret 8 - Game Time is When the Coach’s Job is Almost Over

In fact, Coach told me that he hoped that “once the game starts, I could go up in the stands and the team wouldn’t miss me.” To some this sounds preposterous. I would suggest that this is one of his greatest secrets.

p. 101

[…] the result was the empowerment of the people who now had to go out and perform. It was actually an interestingly choreographed transition of power from practice, where Coach was in total control, to the game, where the players had to take charge. It was also an unspoken yet powerful way to communicate his trust in his players to execute what he had taught them. 

p.102

Bill Walton describes this unique quality of Coach Wooden’s by saying, “people always had this sense that coach was conservative, a strict disciplinarian, a total control freak. But in truth he was about individual freedom, creativity, and imagination. He was about giving the responsibility to everyone else, to let them perform. What made it work so beautifully was that we all became extensions of his mind, his vision, and his dreams.”

p.102

Particularly when you job involves overseeing a creative process, it’s essential that your creative team sense your confidence in them through your willingness to step aside and let their visions take shape

p.103

Though it might have helped stroke my own ego to bark out instructions and act important, once filming began it was time for my “players” to shine. What they needed from me at that point was not more input, but a sense of confidence and assurance that the show was going to be terrific. Creative people know when you trust them. So if you want them to be creative, trust them.

p.104

Too many coaches adopt a single style of interaction with their players and expect them all to flourish. That simply doesn’t take into account the basic fact of human nature that people are different. A coach needs to be a little bit like a jockey, and to adjust to the horse he’s riding. Knowing what type of horse you’re on is only have the battle; the other half is recognizing that you need to make the adjustments.

p.152

An insecure leader constantly reminds his underlings who exactly is in charge. A secure leader knows that his leadership is not in question or being constantly challenged, which frees him to react to both the individual and the situation. But regardless of the individual players’s psychological make up, Coach understood that pride is a better motivator than fear.

p.153

One of Coach’s favourite expressions is, “no written word, no spoken plea, can teach our youth what they should be. Nor all the books on all all the shelves: it’s what the teachers are themselves.”

p.96

Many managers expect their employees to know all the intricacies and nuances of their jobs from the day they start work. This is unrealistic, and often results in hiring mediocre employees whose only real virtue is experience. Be patient, don’t assume job skills, offer simple explanations, and insist on repetition so that good habits are ingrained

p.99-100

So many managers fail in their responsibilities because they’re afraid to intervene and correct mistakes, thinking it can be bad for morale. But having to replace employees is much harder on morale than taking the time to make corrections.

p.100

You cannot expect to encourage teamwork in an organization where weak performers are allowed to keep their jobs.

p.66