Issue 740 - Language That Signals Ownership


Wooden's Wisdom - Volume 13	Issue 740
Craig Impelman Speaking \| Championship Coaches \| Champion's Leadership Library Login
LANGUAGE THAT SIGNALS OWNERSHIP John Wooden Video Clip (1 min. 42 sec.):Coach Wooden is asked: "What was it like to coach Bill Walton?" When people aren’t afraid to speak up, the door opens. What people say once the door is open determines whether solutions actually follow. Coach Wooden demanded effort, clarity, and responsibility. He believed excuses weaken teams, but ownership strengthens them. That meant speaking directly, taking responsibility for choices, and learning from outcomes—without blame or ego. Ownership wasn’t about control. It was about commitment. Ownership Has a Sound In solution-oriented cultures, ownership isn’t announced—it’s heard. When people say: "They should fix this…" "Someone needs to take care of it…" "We might want to think about…" No one owns the outcome. But cultures change when the language changes: "I will…" "Here’s what I recommend…" "Here’s what I’ll try next…" That shift doesn’t guarantee success. It guarantees engagement. From Language to Action "You Got the Talking Part Done": A Call to Action Whenever I brought my boss a solution to a pressing problem, he’d say, "You got the talking part done." Then he’d hand me a yellow notepad with two words written on it—"I will:"—and ask me to list the ten immediate steps I was going to take, along with when each would be completed. The talking was done. It was time to act. Legendary mindset and behavior-change expert *Mel Robbins (The 5 Second Rule)* ** would say this is where most good ideas stall. The moment you decide what to do, hesitation rushes in. Your brain looks for delay and comfort. Ownership only matters if action follows quickly. Two of my favorite philosophers told me the same thing in different ways. My Irish Catholic mother used to remind me: "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Years later, legendary business author *Ken Blanchard (The One Minute Manager)* ** told me directly: "People already know what to do. They just don’t do it. The challenge is closing the gap between knowing and doing." What Modern Leaders Have Learned In elite military teams, the same principle applies. Retired Navy SEAL officer Jocko Willink emphasizes that responsibility does not stop with rank. Leaders explain intent, but team members must ask questions and own execution. Cultures don’t become solution-oriented by intention alone. They become solution-oriented when people speak—and act—like owners. John Wooden put it this way: *"Show me. Don’t tell me."* Reflect on these ideas. How are you doing? Write it down. Share it with someone on your team. Click here for personal development exercise: Issue 740. Click here for Printable Poetry: Issue 740. Yours in Coaching, Craig Impelman www.woodenswisdom.com Follow @woodenswisdom	COACH'S FAVORITE POETRY AND PROSE All Things Bright and Beautiful All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful, The Lord God made them all. Each little flower that opens, Each little bird that sings, He made their glowing colors, He made their tiny wings. The rich man in his castle, The poor man at his gate, God made them high and lowly, And ordered their estate. The purple headed mountain, The river running by, The sunset and the morning, That brightens up the sky;− The cold wind in the winter, The pleasant summer sun, The ripe fruits in the garden,− He made them every one: The tall trees in the greenwood, The meadows where we play, The rushes by the water, We gather every day;− He gave us eyes to see them, And lips that we might tell, How great is God Almighty, Who has made all things well. Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-1895)
For more information visit www.woodenswisdom.com