One of my favorite Bible verses is Romans 4:17 which says, “God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did”. This verse has always given me great comfort. As a Christian, it reminds me you are never without options. You are never without opportunities no matter how dire things may seem.
Your career options may seem over, your sales funnel may seem dry, your connections may all seem lost but God gives life to things that are dead. He brings things into being which currently are not.
I thought of this verse when I read Ben Reiter’s profile of Texas Rangers center fielder Ian Desmond in the September 26th edition of Sports Illustrated. Last winter Desmond’s career seemed over. This winter he should sign a contract for over $80 million.
How he did it is something all leaders can learn from. The following are 14 Things Leaders Should Do When They Seem Out Of Options:
- Do Not Dwell On Past Mistakes – Desmond turned down a 7-year, $106 million contract from the Washington Nationals just two years ago. Dwelling on this would do Desmond no good today.
- Be Thankful For What You Do Have – Desmond said, “I still have an opportunity to provide for my family. As long as I have a jersey, I’m cool.”
- Keep Working Hard – Desmond put a batting cage in his Florida home. Everyday he would go outside and keep hitting as he waited for his opportunity.
- Look For A Place To Serve – One day Desmond noticed a Japanese college team practicing. He started catching balls in the outfield to help them out.
- You Never Know Who Is Watching – Unbeknownst to him, the Rangers had been attempting to acquire him since the previous July and had a scout watch him for six games.
- Be Willing To Change – Desmond had been a very successful shortstop with the Washington Nationals. But after reading a July 6th scouting report, Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said, “if he would ever be open to it, this guy would be a dynamic outfielder.” After signing a 1-year contract, Desmond switched positions.
- Hire A Coach – No matter how good you are, everyone can get even better with a coach. Desmond enlisted outfield coach Jayce Tingler to work with him.
- Put In Extra Work – Tingler put Desmond through three one-on-one tutorials each day during spring training.
- Practice Real Life Situations – During batting practice, Desmond would chase fly balls at full-speed just like he would in a real game.
- Think Outside The Box – Many of the players kept hitting home runs during batting practice. Therefore, Desmond could not get the work he wanted. So he went to the minor league practices where players could not hit it as far and he got in the amount of work he needed.
- Remember Your First Love – Do not get distracted. Teammate Cole Hamels said, “He’s one of those guys who really knows how to separate the business side and the actual pure joy of playing the game.”
- Practice Good Financial Stewardship – Desmond said, “My wife and I are extremely frugal. She still shops at T.J. Maxx. Not that there’s anything wrong with T.J. Maxx. We feel like, man, we already have enough money to live forever. If we spend this money, we’re doing it really wrong.”
- Focus On Making The Most Of Times Of Transition – Desmond concludes, “If I took a loss financially, what I gained as a professional was worth every penny.”
- Leaders Who Do The Right Things When No One Is Watching Become In High Demand – Daniels now says, “We’re gonna have a lot more competition for him. He’s gonna fit everybody. But we know he fits us, and it’s a conversation we’re gonna have.”
What is one thing from this list which gives you encouragement today?
Click HERE or on the image to the left and as a free gift for subscribing to this site, you can receive my new Ebook 1269 Leadership Quotes: Timeless Truths From 2016’s Top Christian Leadership Conferences. Featured are the Johnny Hunt Mens Conference, ReThink Leadership, Orange and Leadercast Conferences among others. If applied, these insights will make you an exponentially better leader. Enjoy!!!