Will they catch it?

The pitcher scrubs the hill with his left foot. Dust flies up.

The atmosphere is tense. The crowd goes eerily silent.

This could be the final ball.

Ace’s routine is three kicks with the left foot followed by three drags of the right foot. At the same time, he stares down the batter, thumping the ball into his mitt.

The bases are loaded. The batter knows he’s got to make a walk-off to take the game.

For Ace, four wide ones is the plan. Or a golden sombrero.

Ace steps up to the rubber and throws a 65mph screw ball.

Will the batter put a charge on the ball or will the catcher take it?

Leadership is a complex action, but when boiled down, it is about two things: building a culture of trust and casting a compelling vision. I have written a lot about trust. Not so much about how to cast a compelling vision. That part of leadership is a lot like being a pitcher.

The word vision can be quite intimidating. It is meant to be. It’s a big word. It suggests that there is something great to achieve, perhaps so great that it might be unattainable. Like putting a man on the moon. Nonetheless it inspires us so much that we just want to give it a go, to put in the extra effort to realise the dream.

But a vision is simply an idea.

Great visionary leaders are ideas people. They are constantly coming up with ideas. They can see problems and want to find a better way. Some of their ideas never take off. But every once in a while, they get the field running for the ball.

Over the years of being a transformational leader I have had plenty of ideas. The trick for a leader is to toss out the idea with confidence, much like a pitcher, hoping that your team will catch it. Your role as a leader is not to make the idea become a reality, but to inspire the team to bring it to life. Leadership is a team sport.

A lot of my ideas have, unfortunately, been hit out of the park. The batter put the charge on the ball, and it was never seen again.

Once I threw out an idea to send all of Year 10 in groups of 30 for three weeks at a time to the island of Santo so every young person could experience the mission trip a mere handful of St Paul’s School students experienced each year. A great idea. I tossed it out. I found land to build accommodation. But the idea didn’t stick. The catcher caught it but when she threw it to the person on first base it flew right past his glove and ended up in the long grass.

It is all in the pitch. Perhaps my idea for Year 10 was a cookie, meatball or beanball pitch. For ideas to be caught by your team they have to be delivered in an inspiring and compelling way, may be an Uncle Charlie ball.

Sometimes, even with an Uncle Charlie ball, an idea is a shoestring catch. Just when you think it is going to ground it gets caught. I have thrown out many an idea with most going to ground. But then, once in a while, at the very last minute someone picks it up and brings the ball back to you asking if they can run with it.

The ideas that become a vision are thrown as a gas ball by an ace: by the best pitcher, thrown as a high velocity fastball right into the leather of the catcher.

The batter realises it’s a non-no. He has no choice but to run.

The ducks are on the pond.

The catcher tosses a clean throw to first base, then onto second.

All out.

If you want to be a great leader become the ace pitcher.

Disclaimer: This article was written by me, and not ChatGPT!