Anderson honors CEO for leadership
By Audrey Kuo
May 21, 2009 10:11 p.m.
Bruin fans are notorious for their idolatry of John Wooden, the legendary basketball coach who brought home 10 NCAA National Championships.
But just as important as Wooden’s 88-game winning streak and perfect seasons is his brand of leadership, his way of shaping ethical leaders on and off the court.
On Thursday night, the UCLA Anderson School of Management paid tribute to his accomplishments at the John Wooden Global Leadership Award Dinner.
The banquet at the Beverly Hilton brought together 450 guests in honor of Wooden and Kenneth Chenault, chairman and CEO of American Express.
Chenault is the second recipient of the leadership award, which is given to a corporate leader who exemplifies the values and principles that Wooden outlines in his “pyramid of success,” a chart of values and attributes that have become a brand unto themselves.
Chenault spent the day Thursday with Anderson students, faculty and alumni, discussing the challenges and rewards of leadership.
At a lunchtime summit, Chenault encouraged students to face down challenges and achieve their dreams.
Addressing the women in the audience, he told them to ignore the skeptics.
“Get the training to realize your passions. When trying to break barriers, you need balance and focus,” he said. “It is your time. Push for the opportunities.”
Anderson Dean Judy Olian said at the dinner that the award was an extension of the school’s commitment to hands-on training and ethical decision-making.
“It was a spectacular evening about leadership,” she said after the event. “It was about the specific brand of leadership that Coach Wooden embodies.”
She called Chenault one of the illustrious leaders the program was designed to honor.
“Not every CEO embodies those values,” she said. “It was inspiring.”
Though Chenault was widely praised for his commitment to his employees and to leading with integrity, the speakers throughout the evening emphasized Wooden’s profound influence.
Olian called Wooden a “towering man on many levels,” and Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Scott Waugh praised him as “a giant at UCLA” before adding, “He’s actually a giant everywhere.”
Olian and Waugh then left guests to enjoy their dinners, including a pyramid of caramel-topped ice cream.
Later, Steve Jamison, who co-authored several books with Wooden, spoke of Wooden’s pre-UCLA days, when as the coach at Indiana State University, he twice declined invitations to the segregated National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball’s national tournament.
In 1948, a week after Wooden’s second refusal, the association caved, Jamison said, and Wooden and his single black player, Clarence Walker, broke the color barrier.
Jamison called the triumph a testament to Wooden’s principled leadership and praised the Anderson School for creating “a bigger and bigger academic home for John Wooden’s philosophy.”
After a recorded message from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ““ who was away with the Lakers as they played Game Two of the Western Conference Finals ““ and a video recapping Wooden’s successes and his leadership philosophy, the storied coach walked on stage to a standing ovation.
Wooden answered questions from moderator Andy Serwer, the managing editor of Fortune magazine.
In his first question, Serwer mentioned the financial meltdown and asked Wooden what it meant for a leader to deal with adversity, though he acknowledged that Wooden had little experience with losing streaks.
Wooden said toughness and strong character comes through adversity. “We will recover,” he said. “If everyone gets you down, you might as well quit.”
After a few more questions, in which Wooden emphasized the need for leaders to be firm but also to show their followers that they are cared for personally, Serwer invited Chenault to join them on stage.
Chenault and Wooden alternated answering questions, both calling integrity and core values essential to leadership. Chenault also addressed the financial crisis and the need for compassion in difficult times.
Other guests included John and Marion Anderson and the two recipients of the John Wooden Leadership Fellowships, Dana Taylor and Shahrouz Golshani.
With reports from Judith Pererra, Bruin reporter.
