Wisdom for Leaders from MLB Players

As I’m sure you know by now, two of my great loves are Leadership and Baseball. This week’s article pairs the two beautifully. It is written by Kyle Jackson, our Associate Pastor at Next Level Church. 

    I have 2 friends that I played college baseball with that are making their way through Minor League baseball on the way to the Bigs. I had the opportunity to talk with both of them on the phone recently as they were finishing up Spring Training in AZ. and was blown away by some of the answers they gave me to some questions I was strategically asking about baseball but listening to their answers with a Ministry mindset.

     Lance Zawadski (Triple-A for the St. Louis Cardinals) played several games for the Padres a year or two ago before being traded to the Royals, Braves and now Cardinals. He is a switch hitting SS/2B that is a phenomenal defensive player and hits for power from both sides of the plate. (Lance’s Bio)

     Brad Coon (Double-A for the Tampa Bay Rays) just finished his 7th year of Minor League ball. He was with the Angels, Nationals, Dodgers and Rays. He is a speedy left-handed center fielder that hits lead-off and steals 30-40 bases a year. (Brad’s Bio)

Amazingly they gave the exact same answer: 

Lance Zawadski

“The biggest difference is in Minor League Baseball you can get away with certain weaknesses, but in the Majors, every weakness you have will be EXPLOITED and it will be exploited quick. In Minor League baseball only a few teams know your weakness, in the Majors EVERYONE knows your weaknesses!”

     As a leader in ministry, the larger your ministry gets the more your weaknesses are going to be EXPLOITED! You can get away with some things in the Minors that only a few people know about, but in the Majors your weakness WILL be known and they WILL be exploited quickly!

Again, they gave the same answer:  

     As a leader in ministry, the more influence you have the more ready you have to be to answer questions, take the heat, be challenged by others and more. You can’t just show up at the park and half way prepare, you have to be prepared daily.

Lance: ”Learning the day-to-day routine of being a Major League player. It’s so different being in the spotlight. Everything you do or say people are ready to pounce on you! You have to be mentally tough.”

Brad: “Thinking I have to change who I am as a player after one bad at bat or one bad game. I think I have to change everything about my stance and swing after one bad day. I am a singles hitter, that steals bases and plays good defense. That’s what got me here. I don’t have to be something I’m not!”

     WOW…Let both of those answers sink in a little! In the ministry sometimes you feel like people are just waiting for you to do or say the “wrong” thing. Everyone has their opinion of what you should do or who you should be. Be who you are and do what got you to the place you are in. Don’t be afraid to change, but always revert back to who you are at a heart level. Know who you are and what you do well and stick with it!

Lance: ”People think that just because we are Big League players we slack off. The biggest surprise to me was watching from the dugout some of the best players in the game consistently running on and off the field hard and running out ground balls hard. People see what they want on TV and assume what they want from a distance. It is not always true.”

Brad Coon

Brad: ”That we are all the same! Cocky, Above the law, non-appreciative guys. So untrue. There are unhappy people everywhere in life no matter what you do! That does not mean everyone you work with or everyone in your profession is the same. People believe what they want and make their own opinions about you without even knowing you.”

     The more influence you gain, the more scrutiny you will take! People will  make their own opinions about you when they have never met you. They will watch from a distance and try to tear you down.

As Leaders, What Can We Do: