Teammates.
with Jim Lefebvre and Poulsbo Mayor Becky Erickson
Last Tuesday, I had the honor of sitting next to Jim Lefebvre as I was Master of Ceremonies for the 13-year old Babe Ruth World Series. Jim was the manager of the Seattle Mariners about 25 years ago. Today, he is a tremendous ambassador for the game of baseball. I enthusiastically listened to his stories for an hour. The one constant he had, and was highlighted in his keynote address, was the importance of being a teammate. Baseball is a team game – you are called on to sacrifice bunt, move runners over by making an out, swinging on a hit and run, and a myriad of other things. He stressed that a successful team was one made up of great teammates.
The same is true in business and life. Who are your teammates? In business, it’s your employees, your clients, your vendors, your board of directors, your investors, and your community. In life, it’s your family, your friends, your community service groups, and your community. Being good teammates often means sacrificing for them, too. It means letting others be the stars sometimes, It also means taking leadership roles when you’re called to, or when you are the obvious choice. It takes courage.
Final thought. When I coached high school basketball, I only had one simple rule for my players. Don’t let your teammates down. It encompasses a lot of selfishness that can ruin a good team. How are your teammates doing? More importantly, are you a good teammate?
This week’s quote – “If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant’s life, she will choose to save the infant’s life without even considering if there are men on base.”
~Dave Barry
© 2012 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved
