Many leaders are impatient. I get it. One of the gifts set aside solely for leaders is vision. Leaders see in their mind a picture of a preferred future. This glimpse of what could be drives leaders forward…sometimes at an unhealthy pace.
If they are not careful, a compelling vision can make leaders impatient and therefore, uncaring. It can make them run forward leaving their teams behind. Why be anchored down by these people who don’t see it? No clutch. No compassion.
The vision can make leaders always go for the “Home Run”, to swing for the fences, rather than taking the necessary time to build an enduring organization. If not careful, a compelling vision can make leaders leapfrog the two words high-octane leaders hate – “the process”.
Successful leaders embrace the process. Rather than always going for home runs, successful leaders know the importance of consistently just hitting singles and getting on base as much as possible. Small, incremental steps which continually move us forward.
Success takes time. It is in the little things consistently done well on a daily basis. Success does not all come at once.
I was reminded of this leadership principle when I read the October 21st USA Today headline “Success comes one hit at a time.” The article was a breakdown of the Kansas City Royals comeback win over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series.
As I read the article, I gleaned 5 Reasons Great Leaders Hit Singles As Well As Home Runs:
- Big Things Often Start With Singles – A 5-run 7th inning by the Royals started with an unspectacular bloop single.
- Sometimes You Have No Choice But To Hit Singles – Market pressures or lack of staff and resources often make it so you cannot go for home runs. You must start small. Royals general manager Dayton Moore says, “Power production often occurs a little later in a player’s career. Our market is always going to dictate that we have young players…We’ve got to put the ball in play and play situational baseball.”
- You Can Hit Singles More Consistently Than Home Runs – New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson says, “High on-base contact offense with some speed is more effective in a short series because it’s more consistent as opposed to power numbers.”
- Singles Give You A Better Chance To Win Than Home Runs – Blue Jays general manager John Gibbons said about the playoffs, “Generally it’s going to be a low-scoring game. And what wins that is putting the ball in play. Maybe, a ball sneaks through, somebody boots a ball or a contact play scores a guy from third base.”
- And Finally, Small Things Done Well Over Time Compound Success – Since 2008, there has been 240 different individual major league teams. The median rank of all pennant winners for hitting with runners in scoring position is in the top 18%. Putting the ball in play, hitting singles, is a key component of winning teams.
Whether you lead a church, business, non-profit, or athletic organization, stop trying to always go for the home run. What are some singles you can hit today – little things done well which compounded over time will give you success?
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