Embrace March Madness

As we welcome and embrace all things March Madness, it’s a great time to reflect on the importance of character. In sports, in life, and in leadership, a person’s character trumps almost any other factor at play in any given scenario. This is why I believe so strongly in being a big-hearted leader and why I feel compelled to spread not only that belief but the reasoning behind it and the inspiration I find in it with other current and aspiring leaders. Beloved UCLA basketball coach John Wooden embraced a compassionate leadership philosophy, and it showed in the players he developed as well as his teams’ impressive performance (his career coaching win-loss percentage is a remarkable .804 and he led UCLA to win a record 10 National Championships). During this NCAA tournament season, I honor and admire his legacy, his character based philosophy, and his demonstrated success in his distinguished career.