We have all seen leaders quit their assignments. Sometimes we were blindsided by their decision but we did not have to be. There were probably tell-tell signs that the leader was thinking about quitting.
This past Friday evening, the Golden State Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics on their home floor by the score of 107-97. During the postgame news conference, Celtics star Jayson Tatum made a passing statement which many people did not notice, but discerning leaders were alarmed by his comment. Watch and listen to those 15 seconds below.
Leaders are in trouble when they start complaining about the price you need to pay for success. Boston may be in trouble in Game 5. See this
Jayson Tatum Post Game Interview – Game 4 – Warriors vs Celtics | 2022 N… https://t.co/XjaF2fROUF via @YouTube— Brian Dodd (@BrianKDodd) June 11, 2022
To repeat, Tatum said, “It’s a new series, best of three. Get some sleep and get on this long-#$ flight tomorrow.”
Only two wins away from winning his first NBA championship, Tatum was complaining about the length of the flight to California. Granted a flight from Boston to San Francisco is a long flight but a small price to pay for the opportunity to take significant steps towards becoming a NBA champion.
When leaders complain about the price that must be paid to lead, it is an indicator they may soon be no longer willing to pay that price. Complaining about the price of leadership is a sign a leader may soon quit.
Everyone loves the perks of leadership. They love the spotlight, notoriety, compensation, expense accounts, corner office, etc…. But few are willing to pay the price needed to lead.
Interestingly, the more successful you become, the greater the price you have to pay. Jayson Tatum is an all-star and the team’s best player. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the Eastern Conference Championship Series. Yet, Tatum was now complaining about a long flight, on a chartered personal jet mind you, required to become a champion. Hopefully, someone in the Celtics organization reminded Tatum about his responsibility as the team’s leader and how everyone will be following his example.
On the other hand, you know who did not complain about the length of the flight? Steph Curry did not complain about the flight. Neither did Klay Thompson. Neither did Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, or any of the other Warriors players. These experienced leaders all know this is a small price to pay to become a champion.
Because the Celtics best player is complaining about the price needed to become a champion, I am predicting a Golden State victory Monday night.
If a leader in your organization is complaining about the price they are having to pay, give them some perspective and remind them of the cost of leadership. Hopefully, they will respond with resiliency and a positive attitude. If not, make sure you have a healthy leadership pipeline because they may be soon quitting.
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