LEADERSHIP WEDNESDAY: Stealing Home

Even though I’m not much of a baseball fan, I’m facinated by the idea of stealing home.

First of all, it’s a lost art, and I’m always facinated by lost arts. Also it’s extremely rare, which makes it all the cooler when it actually happens.

Gutsy Move!

But what really facinates me about stealing home is it’s an incredibly gutsy play in a sport that’s known for being conservative. Gutsy moves are usually not encouraged these days in baseball. Seen Moneyball? Of course you have! That movie is amazing.

It’s interesting to note that back in the days of Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and Jackie Robinson-—back when baseball was really exciting, and new, and raw—stealing home was WAY more common.

So, I’m about to draw a comparison between baseball and leadership; really between baseball and life. I know. THAT’S never been done. Maybe it’s a little whimsical…I don’t care.

All your life you are encouraged to play it safe. To stay in line. Schools are designed to teach students to stay in formation and consume more than they create. I believe, left to our own devices, we will naturally choose the path of least resistence. Passivity and complacency are the roads most traveled.

What if we as leaders encouraged people to “steal home” more often?

The path of least resistence has been worn into a path only because leaders have allowed as much.

It’s All About Timing

Another interesting aspect of home base stealing is the precise timing it takes. Of course, there’s the timing and quickness of making your break right when the pitcher is winding up. That takes great timing for sure, but that’s not really what I’m most fascinated with.  A lot of different things have to come together to make stealing home possible: a pitcher working from the windup instead of the stretch, a third baseman well off the line because a power-hitting left-hander is batting, etc.  Here’s the key: is the runner ready to go for it when the right opportunity comes along?

We all know what it feels like to have a great opportunity come along, and miss it due to fear or hesitiation. Sometimes we even talk our own people out of an opportunity because we are envious or afriad to see them go.

What if we as leaders were caught off-guard less often, instead ready to bolt when the right opportunity comes?

What if we as leaders were ready to let our people go and chase an opportunity instead of holding them back out of fear?

Who Gets The Credit?

One final thought about stealing home: no one gets credited with the RBI when a runner steals home. In many ways it’s a move purely motivated by the exhiliation of racing the ball to the plate and scoring a run for your team. As far as I know, it gets recorded in your stats the same way as a run scored on an error: as a run, but not an RBI.  And all stolen bases are treated as equal in stats, even though it’s harder to steal home than second.

It’s not a statistical move. It’s a move for the glory and for the team.

What if we as leaders were more concerned with leaving a legacy and “scoring runs” for our team, than hogging the credit?

Leaders! Steal home today. Sleep well tonight.

Another great article on stealing home, and a main source for this post.