A Question We Need to Ask Ourselves

I love underdog movies – you know the kind I mean - an average guy takes on an overwhelming task, is nearly defeated, and ends up winning. Those kind. Kingdom of Heaven, Major League (the first one), Zorro, Robin Hood, and The Shooter are just some on my list.

While the majority of my favorites are action-type flicks, one of my top five favorites is “Major League III – Back to the Minors”. The only thing it has in common with the previous two releases is that it carries over some of the former players. Other than that, this could be a standalone story, and a great one at that.

What makes this particular movie so good, besides its humor, is that it is a model of both great and poor leadership styles. It is so good in fact that I recommend it as required viewing when coaching someone new to management.

One particular scene asks a question I believe we should be asking ourselves each day. The manager of the minor league team, “The Buzz”, is with the owner of the Minnesota Twins watching a Twins game. Throughout the game, the Twins perform field error after error. The Buzz manager asks the Twins owner, “Of your lineup of 23 guys, how many make baseball a priority?” The owner replies with a disgusted look, “14…maybe”.

Wow! That is powerful. You see, of the 23 players on this major league team, 10 were more concerned with product sponsors, modeling contracts, or other “opportunities” resulting from their fame and position on the team rather than the team itself and the game of baseball. Their own success was driving their decline in performance.

It’s a simple concept that is so easy to get sidelined until it becomes uncontrollable. It’s a great metaphor to use to gauge the performance of your team, or even yourself. Pick the topic, insert yourself and ask, “Do I make this thing a priority?”

Or, you can generalize as I do. I ask myself (at least weekly), “of the things that are important to me, what are the things I make a priority?” I say my health is important to me, but do I make it a priority? I say my relationship with my wife is important to me, but do I make it a priority? I say my job is important to me, but do I make my team a priority?

For me, baseball has become the word that means priority.

Question: Do you make "baseball" a priority?

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I’d like to know what you think. Feel free to let me know in the comments section below.