How Will You Be Judged In The End?
A Dose Of Reality About Excellence For People In Charge, And Those Who Aspire To Be.
Two days ago, Sunday July 29th, all seemed right with the world. Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn, poster boys for consistent stellar performance and non-stop integrity, were inducted into Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
I'm a baseball fan extraordinaire. Watching these two guys play (20 seasons for Gwynn and 21 for Ripken) was as good as it gets. They gave you every ounce of their best every game. And as a fan you knew you were witnessing immortality right before your eyes.
How does that translate to leadership? What kind of leaders were Ripken and Gwynn?
I could devote space to a dozen or more admirable leadership attributes that both showed with consistency, but I'll hit on just four where I think these two guys were over the top. And it's important to take pause and reflect on their examples. They taught us so much.
1. They played within the rules of ethics and integrity. Too bad the sports page today is littered with stories of illegal performance-enhancing drug use, illegal and despicable off-field activities, recruiting violations, game fixing, and on and on. Gwynn and Ripken played the game the way it was meant to be played -- with honor. They were stars on their own merits -- using only their own natural bodies, talent and hard work. They violated none of baseball's codes of conduct. They respected their teams -- and the game of baseball -- with integrity 24/7, on the field and off. Gwynn said, "Fans felt comfortable enough with us because they could trust us, how we played the game and how we conducted ourselves -- especially in this era of negativity."
2. Winning was more important to them than money. Greenbacks seem to rule the day in sports. While I'll never knock someone for improving his or her financial position by seeking new employment, it's nonetheless refreshing to see two superstar athletes -- already multimillionaires early in their careers who could have significantly increased their wealth by jumping teams -- choose to stay home for less.
I've heard pro athletes proclaim "I want to be the highest paid at my position." (or "...in my sport.") If I'm a teammate bent on winning a championship -- that's what the games are really about aren't they? -- that angers me. We've got an ego-driven superstar more concerned with "me" than "we". But not Ripken and Gwynn -- they came to play and win. And if they did well, they believed, they'd be rewarded. They were, handsomely. Without jumping on the free agent bandwagon.
3. They never cheated their teammates, the fans, or the game. In his Hall of Fame induction speech, Ripken told of his regret when hearing that a family saved their money to come to Baltimore and see him play, and he was ejected in the first inning and the little boy cried the whole game. He realized, kids see everything, and he changed his ways. How many others would care about that? Or alter their behavior? Ripken and Gwynn left it all on the field, every game, giving 100 percent effort. They saw their every move as an "example" for someone else.
4. They were always humble winners. Ever hear either of them brag? On any day of their playing careers? I'll challenge anyone to dig up an old interview transcript where either of them is pontificating of personal achievements or degrading others undeservedly. Bet it doesn't exist. I'll stand corrected if found, and I'll be shocked. In their speeches, both gave more credit to their teammates and the game itself than they accepted themselves. Ripken said, "It's easy to pound your chest and say it was about me in some ways, but it was not. We play a small part, a small role."
Lessons And Actions For You:
Not sure I have to spell it out anymore than I already have. If you just added those four traits to your bag of behaviors -- or enhance them if they're already in your bag -- you'll win the hearts of your followers. You could look long and hard and not find two better role models. If any of us could be judged in the end like Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken, it would have been a pretty good life.
Bravo, Rick! Well said.
To learn more about Rick Houcek, click here.
