Values
Magazine
Give Me The Bat
Stepping Up to the Plate When It Counts the Most
By Andy Andrews
Published: April / May 2008
When Bear Bryant coached at the University of Alabama,
it was said that he could take his team and beat your
team, then take your team and beat his. Bear Bryant was
a leader. Abraham Lincoln, with courage born of divine
conviction, forced healing on a nation that was
determined to divide. Abraham Lincoln was a leader.
Both of these examples are reminiscent of the old
proverb, "An army of sheep led by a lion will defeat an
army of lions led by a sheep." Is this true? Is
leadership that crucial to victory? And what is a leader
anyway? A leader has certain characteristics that will
allow that person to achieve success beyond the
ordinary.
Will Clark was one of major league baseball’s perennial
All Stars. The San Francisco Giants’ first baseman was
certainly considered a leader by his teammates. As a
rookie, in his first game, in his first time at bat, he
was about to face Nolan Ryan, one of the premier
fastball pitchers of all time. As he walked toward the
plate, one of his teammates said to him, "Man, you’re
facing Nolan Ryan!" And Will looked at him and said,
"No, he's facing Will Clark!" In his first at bat, in
his first major league baseball game, Will Clark took
Nolan Ryan over the left field wall -- Homerun!
Will was once asked, "What is it that is different about
you? Why is it that other players, with maybe as much
talent, haven't accomplished as much in their careers as
you have?" He said that it was attitude. It was an
attitude of taking charge, an attitude of leadership. In
fact, he said, "Other players, when the game is on the
line, would sit on the bench and maybe...look at their
shoes, or look out toward the scoreboard so that the
coach wouldn't see their faces when he looked down the
row. But I have always wanted to be a leader. And to me,
a leader takes charge; a leader puts himself in the
game. And so to me, if it is the 7th game of the World
Series and it’s the bottom of the 9th and the bases are
loaded and there are two outs and we are behind, I'll
get up off the bench, I'll go down and get in the
manager’s face and I'll say: Give me the bat, put me in
the game, I'm ready to swing, give me the bat. Give me
the bat!”
What are you doing right now to claim command of the bat
in your life? Leaders put themselves on the line when
the game counts most, which in sports, business, and
life is every day. Leaders also put themselves in
situations that followers simply won’t. A leader’s power
always comes from his or her attitude.
Here are three practical and easy steps you can
immediately take to begin cultivating an attitude of
leadership:
1. Power Up Your Communication. Take responsibility for
your results by taking responsibility for the language
you use. Leaders understand and constructively apply the
power of communication. You can start by taking command
of the language you use to communicate to yourself. I
know a man whose net worth is over one billion dollars.
He starts his mornings by looking at himself in the
mirror and proclaiming loudly: “I feel happy, healthy,
and terrific!” Talk out loud to yourself. It works. You
can proclaim things such as:
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“If it’s to be, it’s up to me.”
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“I can, I will, I must.”
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“The buck stops here with me.”
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“Today I will lead with the
power of who I am.”
2. Power Up Your Associations
-
Whom in your organization do you admire for their
leadership skills?
-
If not in your organization, whom in your industry or
another industry could you seek out?
You may think, “I have nothing to offer that person. Why
would they want to associate with me?” However, talk
back to yourself and ask: “If I did have something to
offer that person, what would it be?” Perhaps it is your
time, service, intelligence or distinctions in a
particular area. You have many resources, tangible and
intangible.
3. Power Up Your Body Language. Assume the body language
of leadership. Leaders communicate feelings of
confidence especially through the use of their
physiology: facial expressions, their walk, talk, and
even stance. Leaders communicate boldness through their
body language. You can do the same. Consider the
following:
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How would you look if you were unstoppable?
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What would you do with your eyes? Your facial
expressions? Your posture?
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Take 10 minutes to observe what the people in your
immediate environment are communicating with their body
language.
-
Whether you’re aware of it or not, you’re always
communicating something to others. Is your body language
attracting or deflecting opportunities?
-
Choose to consciously mirror
the body language of someone you admire. You’ll
experience a shift in how you feel about yourself and
about the world around you.
Becoming a leader does not happen instantly. It takes
time, effort, energy, and steadfast determination. As
you begin to change, the world around you will change as
well. Breaking out of old, outdated habits isn’t always
easy. Through conscious and persistent intention and
action, you will get there. Notice the results you’re
getting. If they aren’t working for you, do something
different. Find what works. Discard what doesn’t.
On or off the field, Will Clark did not become a leader
overnight. His development took years. Will Clark was a
leader long before the evidence was visible to the rest
of the world.
The simple little things you do and the choices you make
today will determine who and what you will one day
become. Choose to cultivate the habits and attitudes of
leadership by articulating like a leader, forming
powerful associations and assuming the body language of
a leader. Put these three simple steps into motion
daily, and before long you will be the one saying: “Give
me the bat!”
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