http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXOrKT7SUoY

How do you like coming in second?  As a leader, do you feel that second place is actually the first loser?  We all like to win and losing seems to break down the aura of invincibility we want to display.  Our pride is hurt.  We are embarrassed and look for ways not to experience losing again.  As leaders, I have found that often we hate losing more than we love winning.

If this describes you, then read these quotes by Josh Hamilton, the famous CF and likely American League Most Valuable Player of the Texas Rangers as told to Steve Greenberg in the September 27th edition of The Sporting News.  It will provide for you a unique perspective.

  1. Right now we’re focused on one day at a time, one game at a time.  It’s really the best way to handle this whole situation (pennant race).”
  2. God has given me the ability and talent, and now I’ve taken that talent and I’ve worked hard and developed it.”
  3. When I try to do too much, try to make things happen, it (playing baseball) becomes hard for me.”
  4. “I had to realize that I don’t get paid to hit the ball far in batting practice, I get paid to get on base, get hits, do all the things it takes to help the team win a game.”
  5. The front office has done a great job of keeping everybody here all year and adding pieces that weren’t going to mess anything up.”
  6. “There are other teams that obviously have more experience that at times put them at more of an advantage.”
  7. We all get along fantastically; there’s no separation in our clubhouse.”
  8. When things are going good and life is moving in the right direction, (priorities) are God first, family second, and everything else falls after that.”
  9. The Lord won’t bring up things in the past you’ve asked forgiveness for because He has forgiven those, moved forward, but Satan will remind you of those”
  10. Billy Graham, he said he never went anywhere without an accountability partner; and most of the time he had four or five people with him.”
  11. If God wanted me to have tattoos I’d have been born with them.”
  12. “I knew how I was capable of playing and put way more expectations on myself than anybody else would.”
  13. I glorify God by using the talent that He gave me and doing the best I can, even though it might not work out all the time.”
  14. It’s very important to me to help people who are struggling, who are where I used to be.”
  15. The key is staying humble about everything that happens, whatever it may be, and keeping those  priorities in order.”

Challenging words for all leaders.  Josh, thank you for coming in second.  And we are all rooting for you to stay in that spot.  Leaders, what position are you striving for?

For future leadership insights, please subscribe to this post or click here.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,