I may be biased as a graduate of UCLA, the finest university in the United States, but I firmly believe that we all have something to learn from the greatest basketball coach of all time—John Wooden. One of his greatest teaching tools can be seen as you walk into the Wooden Center at UCLA, a 20-foot tall, gold-inlaid version of his famous Wooden Pyramid.

The individual building blocks that comprise the Wooden Pyramid read: Industriousness, Friendship, Loyalty, Cooperation, Enthusiasm, Self-Control, Alertness, Initiative, Intentness, Condition, Skill, Team Spirit, Poise, Confidence, and Competitive Greatness.

Not a single block in that pyramid reads ‘Winning.’ Coach Wooden believed that if players built their lives, their game, and their team on these fundamental building blocks, that winning would follow, both on the hardwood and in life.

He used these fundamental principles to build a winning culture at UCLA and to change the trajectory of lives far beyond his basketball team.

See, even though Coach Wooden was the winningest coach of all time, he realized most of his players would never advance to the NBA, regardless of how great his UCLA Bruins were. Coach Wooden used the game of basketball to invest in individuals in a far greater way and on a far deeper level.

Are our companies any different? Can’t we use our companies and our influential leadership platforms to create long-term value for people in our sphere of influence?

In my keynote speeches, I have individuals in the audience build their own pyramid of success. I contend not a single building block should read profit, because if you get the fundamentals right, profits should follow.

Coach Wooden used his position to influence lives, as an opportunity to invest in those kids for the long term. Do you have a long term vision of how you can invest in those around you and how your company can impact the long term trajectory of your employees’ lives?

Here are two steps to take, today, to help you act with long-term vision in mind:

1. Identify one value that needs to be reintegrated into the day-to-day operation of your company.

You likely have a sheet of paper framed somewhere with your company’s core values and guiding principles. Take a hard look at those values. Which one has fallen by the wayside? Is there a value that isn’t a priority in your company right now?

2. Give a few members of your team permission to share, without fear of repercussions, things that are happening in the company that don’t reflect its core values.

No company or team is perfect at all things, all the time. There is always opportunity to evolve and get better. Ask your team to help you identify the opportunities for growth.

Lead well,

p.s. – Thanks for listening! Please rate, review, and subscribe to my leadership podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and/or SoundCloud.