| It was March 2017, our team was playing a very good non-conference opponent. We had a strong team and this game would have serious playoff implications when the committee made its selection for the national tournament. The game was tied 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth. The opposition had a runner on first with nobody out, and they laid down a bunt. Our catcher fielded the bunt. His throw hit the runner who was out of the running lane. The ball ricocheted off the batter runner and went down the right field line putting the runners on 2nd and 3rd. The plate umpire called batter runner interference. Boom! Good call; EXCEPT he missed a key part of the ruling. Instead of moving the lead runner back to first, he placed the lead runner at second base! I went out and argued. The umpires reconvened and they stuck with the call. The next hitter singled. We lost 5-4. I was furious. Furious at the umpires. Furious at myself for not making sure the rule was enforced and protesting the contest. It was a game you lose sleep over. The next morning, I received this email from the crew chief: Mike, I wanted to personally e-mail you to apologize for the wrong ruling I made on the batter-runner interference vs [ ]. I was wrong. The runner should have come back to first base. There is no excuse for my not making the correct ruling. Even when we got together, we all made the wrong call. That’s on me. I sincerely, apologize to you and your team.The next day I saw the umpire at the yard. He was still visibly upset. “I’m just sick over what I did. There’s no excuse. Please tell your boys I’m sorry.” Mistakes and Leadership Leaders make mistakes. Always have and always will. The longer and higher you travel on your leadership journey the more frequently and potentially costly these “goofs” will become. Decisions are part of the job. Sometimes you’ll make decisions under duress. Sometimes you’ll make decisions with partial information. You’ll falsely accuse. You’ll mistakenly put blame on others. As I meet with more and more people, a common issue I hear is a boss’s or supervisor’s unwillingness to own a mistake. Instead of a response similar to the umpire, they cower. Frequently, they begin to isolate making others uncertain. Or, they try to act as if their wrong doing never occurred. This causes the “elephant in the room” to grow and grow. Lack of trust follows. Lack of loyalty follows. Eventually, apathy sets in. What’s worse, the coach, owner or CEO then blames the subordinates. “They just don’t get it. What’s wrong with people nowadays,” they say. The culture is now broken. Lies and deceit are devastating. Leadership will look for all different reasons. However, it all started with lack of trust from chronically failing to take ownership of mistakes. Benefits of Owning a Mistake Why should you own a mistake? 1. It’s the right thing to do: Not everyone is confident. The people you lead may be wondering “Was I wrong? Should I have done more?” They’ll lose a bit of their swagger because of your mistake. One time is no big deal; however, over time, their make-up will be compromised. 2. Increases your credibility: You can’t fool a locker room. Players (and employees) KNOW when something is off. They respect your positional power; they won’t call you on the mistake. But they know. Admitting your mistake increases your credibility in other areas. 3. You model accountability: Most, if not all organizations, value accountability. We want it from our employees, however, we do a poor job of demonstrating because we fear it will make us look weak. Nonsense. By openly admitting shortcomings you are granting permission to others to do so. This promotes a culture that looks at issues as opportunities. 4. It diffuses tension: Think back to my situation. I was furious. After the umpire owned the mistake what was I going to do? Stay mad? Once you own the mistake the healing process begins. You may not be instantly forgiven. The other person’s response is not in your control. However, an honest and sincere apology begins the process. 5. It’s an opportunity to galvanize: Yes! Your mistake can actually pull the team together. People tend to rally around leaders who are transparent and human. People will run through walls for leaders they believe in. You can’t be “all in” with someone you don’t trust. Follow-up Honestly, if the umpire hadn’t emailed me I wouldn’t have the same respect for him as I do today. Because of his humbleness, he is now one of my absolute favorites. When he has our games I get excited. I know we are getting an umpire who cares. He learned from his mistake and is better now than ever. He took a bad situation and turned it into a positive. This in turn taught me a lesson in humility. This Week’s Challenge Are you ready to get uncomfortable? This week, join me in sincerely apologizing for a mistake. No excuses, just completely owning our part in a mishap. Look for three different opportunities. With our spouse or significant other.With our children.With someone at work. I can’t wait to hear about your experience. |
Matt Talarico, is a coordinator for the New York Yankees. He is an industry leader in base running. Years of studying the craft of stealing bases has led Matt to a system that has produced results. There are three styles in his system: Old School, New School and Hybrid.
Old School: The old-school system was developed from years of studying baseball’s great base stealers: Ricky Henderson, Vince Coleman, Lou Brock and Tim Raines – just to name a few. The old-school technique relies on getting a standard lead, getting a good jump and using your speed to steal bases. This method has been effective and has produced prolific results.
New School: The new-school system is based on momentum. The runner is asked to start with a smaller lead and quietly extend their lead as the pitcher releases the ball. “Tally” uses the reference of a parked car at a stop light vs. a car that has momentum as it approaches the light. The car that has momentum is able to get a better start than its fixed counterpart. This approach is different and can seem risky to those who teach only the old-school technique.
Hybrid: Matt’s hybrid system blends the two approaches to make the most effective base stealer. The idea is to put continuous pressure on the defense. By paying respect to history while also developing other techniques, the base runner is able to be a constant threat.
Old School vs. New School:
The present state of baseball is amazing. For years, baseball relied on non-objective information when teaching and evaluating talent. “He really hits it hard.” “His fastball gets on you.” “That is a sharp breaking ball.” Now, measures such as exit velocity and spin rate can help quantify these opinions. Many things are being challenged from the best way to optimize the batting order to defensive positioning (aka “The Shift”).
The stereotypical old-school coach feels threatened by these measures. People are trying to “reinvent the game” they will say. Some even feel the game is being ruined by data and technology.
On the other end of the spectrum is the baseball person that relies solely on new-school approaches. This person either disregards or doesn’t respect the lessons and history of the game. They believe that data and technology are much more important than the human element.
Hybrid:
I believe the elite coach or baseball administrator of the future is the person who understands the history. They possess the social agility to connect with people from all edges of the earth. The elite coach will be curious and constantly seeking ways to improve the organization’s performance, while also being acutely aware that the game is played by humans. This person has an understanding that the world is constantly evolving. To stay the same is impossible, you’ll either adapt or fall behind.
The future elite coach will be a beautiful compliment of old school and new school philosophies.
Real World Application:
As I travel and connect with organizations, one of the biggest challenges I witness is the Old School vs. New School approach. The more seasoned managers, partners and employees tend to value: hard work, dressing professionally, phone conversations over email or text, structured compensation packages, and long hours. The Old School was taught and rewarded for this type of work ethic. They believe everyone should put forth time and effort.
The folks entering the workforce tend to have a different approach. Many prefer more of a work/life balance, flexible hours, incentive based pay and promotion structure, and they communicate via technology (text, email, twitter). The New School workforce pushes the envelope and they want to find the quickest and most efficient way to get a job done.
The Competitive Advantage:
If you or your organization is experiencing this rub, you are far from alone. While most organizations spend time complaining about the issue it’s time to challenge yourself to be different. The old school values will always have a place in winning organizations.
On the other hand, you can’t “hack” the system; the work needs to be done. Standards need maintained with high level accountability. With that being said, the new school approach will keep your organization moving forward. The hunger to learn new data points and technology can be critical.
Just like in baseball, the elite leader of the future will pay homage to the past while seeking new and better ways of doing business or leading a classroom. They will have the ability to be a connector; being able to relate and pull together the unique skills of a diverse workforce.
Leadership Challenge:
Deep self-evaluation is critical. Before we can lead others, we need to understand our beliefs and biases. Take a moment and reflect on these questions:
- Is your default setting more Old School or New School?
- If you’re Old School, how can you become more open to change and technology? What are you potentially missing out on?
- If you are New School, what can you learn from the history of your industry? How are you limiting your growth potential?
- In what ways can you connect those you lead who have different default settings? Reimagine ways to bring folks together for the organization.
- Are you surrounding yourself with people who share the same default setting?
To purchase Matt Talarico’s book, check out his website here: www.stealbases.com. Or, to chat about my personal philosophy, feel free to reach out.
Iowa St. is not a football power house. In the three seasons prior to Head Coach Matt Campbell’s arrival, their record was 8-28. Campbell’s first year in 2016 the Cyclones were 3-9. Since then, the program has been trending upward: 8-5; 8-5; 7-6. Currently they are 8-2, ranked #9 in the country, and are sitting atop the B12 standings.
I’m sure Coach Campbell is a phenomenal football mind; however, smart football people are a dime a dozen. His success, in my opinion, is because he is a culture builder.
The word culture makes people cringe. It has become a buzz word. Culture is not ping pong tables, bean bag chairs, and casual dress. Building culture requires deep internal work, self-reflection, and is centered on developing championship behaviors in the people of the organization.
The Best Version of Ourselves:
Through observation, I believe Iowa State’s culture is the pursuit of being the best version of themselves. In the press conference following their big win over Texas, Campbell mentioned “the best version of ourselves” multiple times. Here are three quotes:
“And the greatest thing that has allowed this team, and really our staff and probably me in general, is to put ego away and really evaluate and try to figure out how do you chart a course to become the best version of yourself you can be. “
“And then how do we do a great job of giving this program consistency and the opportunity to become the best version of ourselves we can be?
“Well, I think I’d be really disappointed if we didn’t get on the plane, flush it, and enjoy the fact we were able to win, and then by tomorrow, be ready to sit back and dissect it. And say, Man, what didn’t we do well? What do we need to get better at? How do we continue to improve. So if we want to continue to grow and have a chance to be the best version of ourselves we can be and reach our full potential, then we’ll have to come back and take that same mindset.”
Can Iowa St. compete year in and year out with the blue bloods of college football? Probably not. But….can they work relentlessly toward being the best version of themselves? Definitely.
What do Indiana Baseball and Iowa St. Football have in common?
It’s amazing how things come full circle. This spring, Indiana University’s head baseball coach, Jeff Mercer, met with our team via Zoom. We asked him a question about how he handles players who are disappointed with their playing time. His answer was magnificent. “You have to have a goal outside of the result. Everyone in our program’s job is to be the best version of themselves. Whether you played in the game or not, the responsibility is to be the best version of yourself.”
Coach Mercer is an outstanding person, and Indiana baseball is a tremendous program. Iowa St, under Coach Campbell, is on the rise. Maybe there is something to building a culture based on the pursuit of being the best version of ourselves?
(At the bottom of this article are two videos from Campbell and Mercer. Tell me you wouldn’t want to play for these men.)
Final Thought:
It’s easy to say an organization’s success is due to luck. It’s also easy to recite perceived advantages. However, when studying high performing teams, I’m blown away by their intentional approach to culture building.
To some, a phrase like “the best version of ourselves” is soft. It doesn’t focus on winning or championships. I would push back and say simply having a goal of winning is soft. There’s no substance behind it. Watch a little kid, they want to win, and if they don’t they pout. The same unproductive behavior is frequently found in organizations focusing exclusively on results.
Consider the idea of being the best version of ourselves. It is a challenging but rewarding pursuit. It’s 100% completely within our control. Everyone has a different starting point in life and circumstances are different. The starting point has nothing to do with the ability to be our best selves. It’s far from soft. It takes away all excuses. There are no outside comparisons. No envy.
It’s simply a mission to show up for those we love in the best way possible.
What if everyone in your organization owned that goal?
Reflection Question:
Could you or your organization benefit from shifting the focus to being the best version of yourself?
Big Announcement Next Week:
I’ve been working on creating a culture and leadership course. Check it out!
I wrote my first article Thanksgiving week, 2014. Over these five years I’ve written between 140-165 articles. My first year writing I posted on WordPress and I don’t know how many I wrote that year; therefore my count is bit vague. I switched to Mailchimp in 2015 and have produced 139 articles over a four year span. So, I’ve averaged somewhere between 28-33 articles a year. If I were to guess the average length of each piece was between 800-900 words. That means I’ve written and shared roughly 131,750 words!
In celebration of the 5-Year Anniversary I wanted to share the random things I’ve learned:
- There are critics and performers in life- I want to perform and not criticize.
- Taking risks is dangerous.
- Playing it safe and small is deadly.
- Your kids are more likely to become what you do, not what you say- model well.
- Drive fast, take chances- you only live once.
- Your “voice” is the most important thing as a writer.
- The quicker you realize that internal success trumps external success the better.
- Take care of your spouse first, your kids second.
- Minivans get a bad rap; if you have more than two kids buy one.
- Make your present job the big time.
- Being able to self-reflect and evaluate is incredibly hard for most people.
- Those who can self-reflect and evaluate possess a tremendous competitive advantage over those who can’t.
- Sharing my thoughts has increased my accountability.
- Authenticity and vulnerability are attractive personality traits.
- Being physically present with family isn’t as important as society makes it out to be.
- Being mentally present when you are with family is more important than society makes it out to be.
- Competitive sports are one of the last “no spin zones”: stewards of the game must fight to uphold this.
- A high performing team will beat a high performing individual.
- Being a part of a team requires sacrificing a little of your individuality.
- That sacrifice is totally worth it.
- We tend to exaggerate our hardships and minimize others.
- Culture is important but so is talent.
- Leadership is important but so is “followership.”
- People want to help; have the courage to ask.
- If you aren’t curious it’s impossible to grow.
- If you aren’t growing you are going to get run over.
- Data and technology are here to stay but it will never replace human connection.
- Haters are going to hate.
- If you are looking for quick fixes you’ll be searching for a long time.
- Poor diet and lack of exercise manifest physically as you advance in age.
- The older generation always has, and still continues to be disappointed in the younger generation.
- It’s time for the older generation to get over it.
- Always leave it better than you found it.
- Detaching emotionally is important in successful decision making.
- Detaching emotionally from decision making can make detaching emotionally from family and friends more likely. Be careful.
- Stop saying, “I’m old.” You are never old unless you want to be.
- When hiring read the candidates thank you note to the secretary and not the boss.
- Defense wins championships.
- However, offense gets your name in the paper.
- Being busy is a choice.
- Carving out time to think, reflect, and create is worth the investment.
- You are not as important as you think…enjoy yourself.
- Kids haven’t changed, but adults have.
- A funeral can be enjoyable- a life-well lived is inspiring.
- Timing and luck do matter.
- The harder and smarter you work the odds of experiencing positive timing and luck increase.
- Racism still exists and I can’t for the life of me understand why.
- If you are feeling down do something for someone else.
- When your playing career concludes it will be better to be known as an unreal teammate than an unreal talent.
- It won’t mean a thing if you didn’t earn it.
- If you would want it for your kids you ought to do it for yourself.
- There’s nothing like being a part of something bigger than yourself.
A sincere thank you for accompanying me on this journey. The relationships and connections I’ve made or enhanced via this newsletter is incredibly full-filling. Your patience and guidance is greatly appreciated.
I’m just getting started, friends. I look forward to growing and improving in the next five years.
A person I greatly admire is Toronto Blue Jays President and CEO, Mark Shapiro. This spring, Mark spoke with our team about high performance. Several of our players aspire to work in professional baseball and we asked what he looks for in new hires. You could sense he was humbled by the high quality of resumes he receives. He mentioned every candidate is smart, hardworking and passionate about baseball. Those things are the baseline, he said. To stand out, there has to be more.
The conversation with Mark made me reflect. When I ask student athletes: “what did you learn from your experience” the typical responses are: hard work, commitment, team work, and overcoming challenges. Those are baseline answers. In a competitive job market, cookie cutter responses won’t be difference makers.
I’m clearly biased, but I think every organization would be wise to consider hiring a former student-athlete. Their experience on the court, field, track or in the water has provided them with transferable skills that can impact an organization. The problem for most student athletes, however, is they struggle to articulate their value.
Things for Student-Athletes to Consider
Employers need to learn how your past experiences will impact their culture moving forward. In order for your experiences to resonate, reflection is required. To get your mind going, I compiled a list of positive attributes I’ve observed.
Resilience– Sports are filled with moments of adversity. For me, I went from being first-team all-league my sophomore year to being benched during my junior season. I wasn’t producing. I was angry. I had a choice: make some positive changes or go the negative route. Fortunately, I was able to overcome the setbacks. The professional world is filled with pot holes. It won’t be smooth sailing. The ability to bounce back will be a much needed life skill.
Show Up: A tremendous power humans possess is the ability to choose how we show up every day. Competitive sports programs are frequently in high pressure environments. Character (and culture) are revealed in times of adversity. In sports, we show up regardless if we got beat by 20 runs the night before, we lose the starting job, we have a big win the day prior, or we are tired and not feeling well. A consistent teammate is valued in any sector. Leaders love people who dance through the storm. Obstacles are part of the journey. Those who embrace challenges with a big smile will always be in demand.
Collaboration: Exceptional effort by all team members is required to achieve challenging program goals. This requires relying on the skill and expertise of coaches, trainers, managers, custodians, and many more. Humility is developed along the way- no one person can do it on their own. In business, working together to solve complex challenges is a must. Working tirelessly and not caring who gets the credit is valuable. Individuals who have the skills to work in a team, and suppress their ego, will thrive in the future.
Emotional Intelligence: Being a part of something bigger than yourself is a reminder that everything is not about you. You are forced to get over yourself real quick. Sports help with self-awareness and equally as important, help you become aware of others. You learn to have empathy for the teammate who makes a crucial error . I believe E.I. is the most important skill in life. The ability to connect with a diverse group and show compassion will enhance any industry.
Adaptability: A hallmark of competitive sports is the unpredictable nature. The circumstances are constantly changing. The ability to quickly process information, make a decision, and execute are crucial to success. Life is full of uncertainty. Embracing chaos is more important now than ever. Adaptation and perseverance are now a necessity.
Competition: Well-adjusted athletes develop a healthy relationship with competition. Competitive programs are breeding grounds for fierce internal and external competition. Internally, the talent differential amongst teammates is incredibly small. Externally, the best programs seek out other top programs for a challenge. The margin for error is minute. It takes years of incremental improvement to make a splash. Professional life isn’t much different; competition is everywhere. Failure and rejection are present. Being comfortable in uncomfortable situations is a major advantage.
Thoughts for Parents:
Writing this piece made me realize how many parents are focusing on the wrong things. Parents frequently agonize over playing time, the fairness of their child’s treatment, and wins and losses. The life-skills listed above have nothing to do with these things. The lessons are actually packed in the journey. The student-athletes ability to reflect on the experience is what determines the value, not actually what happens. We need to consider this when we want to intervene- intervention will likely disrupt a rich learning experience.
Final Thought:
Simply being a student-athlete isn’t enough. The NCAA alone has nearly 500,000 student-athletes. Common phrases like commitment and teamwork won’t cut it. Connect with your unique experience and challenge yourself to articulate the journey. It’s worth the investment.
While today’s newsletter focused on student-athletes, I think we can all learn from Mark’s insight. Being smart, hardworking, and passionate aren’t enough to separate ourselves. We must be willing to go deep. Doing the work allows us to align with people and organizations who will enhance our life. I’m more convinced than ever that “fit” matters. We can either hope we align or be intentional about building our future.
Reflection Question:
How can you better articulate your unique life-experiences?
Every now and then, sports provide special moments. Friday night was one of those times. I was glued to the TV- the Lakers and Heat were engaged in an epic battle of wills. And, the Tampa Bay Rays and NY Yankees were competing in a series deciding game.
In the 8th inning of a 1-1 tie Mike Brosseau, a non drafted player, stepped to the plate against one of the best closers in the last decade, Aroldis Chapman. Brosseau quickly found himself down 0-2. He battled his way back. Around pitch 7 of the AB, I sat up in bed and told my wife, “we are watching something special.” On the 10th pitch Brosseau put a beautiful swing on a fastball down in the zone and it went out to left centerfield. The unheralded player’s home run proved to be the difference in the series clinching game.
If that’s not enough theatre, let’s rewind to September 1 when Chapman threw a 101mph fastball over Brosseau’s head. The benches cleared that day. There was a noticeable tension between the two teams. The day after being knocked down by Chapman, Brosseau hit two home runs helping the Rays strengthen their lead in the AL East.
Immediately after the game, a microphone was in Brosseau’s face. The team was celebrating and emotions where high when he was asked about revenge. “How does it feel to hit a home run after nearly being beamed in September.” Brosseau stated how that was all in the past; there was no revenge. He was just enjoying the moment with his teammates. Actually, he went out of his way to praise the Yankees, their pitching staff and Chapman.
I don’t know Mike Brosseau but I have become a huge fan of his. His reactions, and especially his teammates reactions about him, make me think he is a special person. Here’s a few things I reflected upon following his big moment.
- Take the high road- Many people thought he should be thrilled to “stick it to” a player who took a shot at him. Really what good would that do? The damage was done. His positive comments about the foe were refreshing and endearing.
Could you look for an opportunity to take the high road this week?
- Find a way to add value: I failed to mention that Brosseau did not start Game 5; he came off the bench. When asked earlier in the season about being a role player he mentioned the importance of being versatile and being ready to lean into his strengths when given an opportunity. He also stated how great it is to be able to add value to a special group like the Rays.
Is there a way to add more value to your family, friends and teams this week?
- You belong: Brosseau was a lightly recruited high school player who wasn’t drafted out of high school. He did not have the pedigree (or signing bonus) of many professional players. But he’s earned the right to be on the same team with some of the most talented players in the world. He’s a big leaguer, just like everyone else in the show.
Do you wrestle with imposter syndrome? Whatever conversation or room you find yourself in this week, realize you belong!
I feel lucky to have watched Game 5 on Friday. The game was played wonderfully- both teams gave fans a treat. I’m really glad to have witnessed Brosseau’s home run and more importantly be introduced to his compassion and humility.
Make it a great week!