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In the arena of sports, we can find all sorts of lessons about values that hit true to our core. In the game of baseball, it is no different. Leadership is perhaps one of the most coveted values that one can take away from their participation in sports, especially when you embrace the game with undying passion. Here are nine lessons regarding leadership from a ballplayer.
1. Have a contagious winning attitude
If 90% of the game is mental, then having a winning mentality is guaranteed to make sure you perform better than having a poor mentality, regardless of how you are physically playing. If your mindset is wavering, and you don’t believe in your ability to win the game, then you won’t. If you develop a winning attitude, over time you will play towards your true potential. When you practice baseball, you come every day ready to play, you don’t quit, and you fight to win.
2. Always work on the fundamentals
Without the basics, everything crumbles. Even if you feel like you can do basic hitting drills in your sleep, devote some time to rehearsing them so that you don’t lose your fundamentals when the moment comes. Although we might hate the repetition, this is what gives us the stamina and practice we need when it comes to performing under pressure.
3. Don’t neglect the unpleasant but vital tasks
Just like drilling on the fundamentals, sometimes the most laborious, taxing things — like stretching and conditioning — are things we might detest, but we know we cannot neglect. Realize that they do pay off at the end of the season, and you’ll be thankful you didn’t skimp on them. It’s these tasks that give you the edge and stamina needed to succeed.
4. “Root, root, root for the home team.”
Be a motivator for those around you, in the good times and the bad times. When you are playing well, getting cheered on encourages you and excites you. And when you are in a slump, cheering can be that extra push to get you out of it. When there’s an obvious amount of support for one another, it fosters a better team culture.
5. “If you don’t get dirty, you didn’t play the game.”
This means that you always play hard and you try hard. If you didn’t give your best effort, then why give any at all? By always putting your best foot forward, you will see the results. Every little bit of extra effort will give you those incremental wins, get your smaller goals achieved, and bring you closer to your vision.
6. “Watch the seams.”
The best baseball players are able to focus in on the seams of a baseball and know what pitch to throw. When you are able to know the intricate details of everything you do, you are able to make split-second decisions that can have a huge impact. When faced with more difficult decisions, you are able to rely on every detail that you know to make the most well-informed choice.
7. “It’s a team game.”
With baseball, it’s a game within a game, just like many things in life. The batter versus the pitcher, the team versus the team, it just continues on. Realize that a person could have a great game, but not everyone wins. If someone struggles, the team could still win. Realize that everyone is in it together. Regardless of their role, everyone plays a part and must have the same wants and mindsets as the next.
8. Find a great mentor
When you have someone you trust and admire guiding you, you make leaps and bounds on improving yourself to get closer and closer to your goals. This mentor should be able to challenge you and grow you. Find yourself a coach or mentor and start growing with them.
9. Make a complete team by blending strengths
A good leader or coach will maximize everyone’s talents and make sure every individual player will complement one another. By getting to know everyone, they are able to utilize all of the skills they have on their team. Good leaders put people where they know they will be effective, thrive, improve the team, and improve themselves.
In the arena of sports, we can find all sorts of lessons about values that hit true to our core. In the game of baseball, it is no different. Leadership is perhaps one of the most coveted values that one can take away from their participation in sports, especially when you embrace the game with undying passion. Here are nine lessons regarding leadership from a ballplayer.
1. Have a contagious winning attitude
If 90% of the game is mental, then having a winning mentality is guaranteed to make sure you perform better than having a poor mentality, regardless of how you are physically playing. If your mindset is wavering, and you don’t believe in your ability to win the game, then you won’t. If you develop a winning attitude, over time you will play towards your true potential. When you practice baseball, you come every day ready to play, you don’t quit, and you fight to win.
2. Always work on the fundamentals
Without the basics, everything crumbles. Even if you feel like you can do basic hitting drills in your sleep, devote some time to rehearsing them so that you don’t lose your fundamentals when the moment comes. Although we might hate the repetition, this is what gives us the stamina and practice we need when it comes to performing under pressure.
3. Don’t neglect the unpleasant but vital tasks
Just like drilling on the fundamentals, sometimes the most laborious, taxing things — like stretching and conditioning — are things we might detest, but we know we cannot neglect. Realize that they do pay off at the end of the season, and you’ll be thankful you didn’t skimp on them. It’s these tasks that give you the edge and stamina needed to succeed.
4. “Root, root, root for the home team.”
Be a motivator for those around you, in the good times and the bad times. When you are playing well, getting cheered on encourages you and excites you. And when you are in a slump, cheering can be that extra push to get you out of it. When there’s an obvious amount of support for one another, it fosters a better team culture.
This means that you always play hard and you try hard. If you didn’t give your best effort, then why give any at all? By always putting your best foot forward, you will see the results. Every little bit of extra effort will give you those incremental wins, get your smaller goals achieved, and bring you closer to your vision.
6. “Watch the seams.”
The best baseball players are able to focus in on the seams of a baseball and know what pitch to throw. When you are able to know the intricate details of everything you do, you are able to make split-second decisions that can have a huge impact. When faced with more difficult decisions, you are able to rely on every detail that you know to make the most well-informed choice.
7. “It’s a team game.”
With baseball, it’s a game within a game, just like many things in life. The batter versus the pitcher, the team versus the team, it just continues on. Realize that a person could have a great game, but not everyone wins. If someone struggles, the team could still win. Realize that everyone is in it together. Regardless of their role, everyone plays a part and must have the same wants and mindsets as the next.
8. Find a great mentor
When you have someone you trust and admire guiding you, you make leaps and bounds on improving yourself to get closer and closer to your goals. This mentor should be able to challenge you and grow you. Find yourself a coach or mentor and start growing with them.
9. Make a complete team by blending strengths
A good leader or coach will maximize everyone’s talents and make sure every individual player will complement one another. By getting to know everyone, they are able to utilize all of the skills they have on their team. Good leaders put people where they know they will be effective, thrive, improve the team, and improve themselves.