John Wooden Quotes

A valuable friend is one who'll tell you what you should be told, even if it offends you.

Why are you being so mean?" "Friends tell friends the truth." "yeah, but not to hurt, to help.

I know that I'm getting the real deal with my mom. I know that she's telling it like it is. She's proud of me when I've earned it and she's disappointed in me when I've earn that. She's really my spectrum on where I am as a person.

There aren't really many compliments flying around with me and my friends. It's a lot of tough love. But you know, that love is there, and if you need to have a serious conversation, you just gotta wait for the right time to do it.

Everybody has a Big Momma: the mother or the grandmother who tells it like it is, keeps it real with them, isn't afraid to tell you the truth about yourself.

My friend is he who will tell me my faults in private.

It's so much easier to tell people what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear.

It's cool to have parents and family who will always tell me the truth no matter what. They'll tell me if I'm doing something stupid!

When I was a kid, I thought my dad was a little bit harsh with me at times. Sometimes I needed an arm around me instead of my dad telling me what I did wrong, but it obviously worked.

Leaders know the importance of having someone in their lives who will unfailingly and fearlessly tell them the truth.

I grew up in the South, in New Orleans, where guys torture you all the time. So I didn't really grow up on the self-esteem campaign. When you were lousy at something, they told you you were lousy, and they told you how to fix it.

I need good friends who can say, 'I love you to death, but you look terrible in that, and you need to change right now.'

The best servants of the people, like the best valets, must whisper unpleasant truths in the master's ear. It is the court fool, not the foolish courtier, whom the king can least afford to lose.

The best servants of the people, like the best valets, must whisper unpleasant truths in the master's ear.

I think most athletes want to be told when they make a mistake. They don't want to be coddled. They can deal with criticism, especially when it's valid.

Productive givers focus on acting in the long-term best interests of others, even if it's not pleasant. They have the courage to give the critical feedback we prefer not to hear, but truly need to hear. They offer tough love, knowing that we might like them less, but we'll come to trust and respect them more.

Don't let that 'mom' word fool y'all... Her being my biggest critic was the best thing for me, actually.

A teacher's not going to bother being tough on you for no reason; it's when they're not paying you attention that you should worry.

There are very few people who work for me who are afraid to tell me what I don't want to hear.

Seek out a personal coach or mentor in the workplace. He/she should push you when you need it by encouraging and motivating you. Don't be afraid of their honesty.

I don't want people who just tell me what they think I want to hear, because that doesn't do me any good.

Seek the counsel of men who will tell you the truth about yourself, even if it hurts you to hear it. Mere commendation will not bring the improvement you need.

I do have a very wonderful mentor, who helps me and reads my work and criticizes me, all the time. You've gotta have those people, who will tell you the truth and help you. You don't want anyone buttering you up. I want someone to tell me what I can fix. That's what I like.

I don't think it serves any minority or underrepresented group to be coddled. Because the world won't coddle you. So I actually believe in tough love, hard truths, black and white.

I think about everyone in my life that was harsh with me or who gave me tough love and told me things that I didn't want to hear in that moment; fortunately it ended up being really good for me and I have nothing but respect for them today and those are the people I return to when I need that real honest advice.