The Path of Most Consistent

Ichiro Suzuki, globally known simply as “Ichiro,” was a famous Major League Baseball (MLB) player who came to the American big leagues when he was 27. He had already played 9 seasons in the Nippon Professional Baseball league in Japan, where he racked up 1,278 hits. He started with the Seattle Mariners in 2001 and had a sensational first season! He earned American League Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors, knocking a mind-boggling 242 hits and stealing 56 bases. He retired from baseball in 2019, finishing up with 3,089 hits, 17 consecutive All-Star selections and Gold Glove Awards, 9 league batting titles, and was named MVP 4 times. A sure-fire first-ballot 2025 Hall-of-Famer!

To say Ichiro was consistent would be an understatement. He was also consistently excellent. How did he do it? Obviously, talent was a major factor. He could do it all and was what they call in the business a “five-tool” player. But it also had to do with his commitment to the following: ?basics and fundamentals, routine, excellence as a standard, and being available. These are obviously great traits for any baseball player, but also leaders in any field.

Commitment to the Basics

How many times have we heard someone say, “We need to get back to the basics?” What does that mean? It can have several meanings; however, I believe it means dispensing with all the complications and distractions, and just focusing on the basics that deliver your product, service, or help you successfully execute your mission. Ichiro spent every off-season in Kobe, Japan, working out daily on hitting, throwing, running, and fielding. His consistent focus on the basics and fundamentals of baseball made him the player he was.

When I was a new Air Force Fire Fighter in the mid-1980s, I had the daunting task of becoming Driver/Operator certified. Faced with a complicated panel on the side of a fire engine, with all sorts of buttons, handles, and lights, I was overwhelmed. I remember my trainer, an old veteran, telling me to keep it basic. “Calm down and just remember four steps: Water In, Water Out, Throttle Up, Set Relief Valve”. Those four basic steps would set me up for mission success to put the wet stuff on the red stuff. Keeping it basic helped me understand and execute with consistency. I applied those same four fundamental steps on other fire engines I had to operate during my 12 years in fire protection and never forgot them or the lesson.

When things get complicated, as they often do, remember to break it down to the basics. It will often pave the way for a smoother path towards consistency and success. Mastering the fundamentals of what you and your team do will make that path to success even smoother.

Importance of Routine

Routine is critical. Sounds like an oxymoronic phrase, right? James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, said, “the key to success is found in your daily routine.” Routines are especially important when it comes to consistency. In baseball, you’ll notice most hitters have a routine they go through before they step into the batter’s box. Ichiro was known for his intense pre-game yoga-type stretching routine. Most athletes follow their routines to put themselves in the best physical and mental mindset to succeed. Leaders also need a routine before they step up to the plate to lead. We all need something to put us in the right mindset—a solid and consistent routine is the way to do that.

Positive pre-work routines are important. Dedicated time to work out, read, think, pray, meditate, or other positive activities of choice, all play a crucial role and are necessary investments in time for leaders. Committing to and executing your own positive routine first thing in the morning, before you lace up your boots (or any footwear!) for success, will provide the physical strength and mental clarity needed to be consistent, as well as set the tone for your entire day.

In the workplace, routines are also important for consistency. A weekly meeting, to pass on information, get updates, help with projects, etc., will provide consistency for your team. If the meetings are productive, collaborative, and engaging with purposeful objectives/agenda, they will be valued. Routine is also important when you are not there. Remember what happened when you had a substitute teacher in middle school? That should not happen when you are away from work. Successful organizations run the same way, regardless of who is in charge at the time. A successful organization continues valuable routines to ensure consistency in operations and information flow.

One final note on routines. Positive routines build positive habits which build positive results. Think about it. If you go to the gym only one day to work out, what will the results be? Nothing other than maybe sore muscles. Now, build in consistency and routine. Go to the gym 60 days in a row to work out (a consistent, positive habit/routine). You will highly likely see incredibly positive results from your dedicated routine. Bottom line--consistent, positive routines work!

Excellence as the Standard

Before joining the Space Force as a civilian, I was active-duty Air Force (AF) for a long time. One of the three AF Core Values is “Excellence in All We Do.” The AF believes committing to excellence is so important, they made it one of their three core values. To really commit to excellence as a standard though, it can’t be just words on a paper, graphic, or something your organization tells you to do. It has to be something you internalize. You have to believe it and make it one of your guiding principles.

Excellence, by definition, is the quality of being outstanding or extremely good. Who wouldn’t want to commit to that? Of course, excellence should be the standard. It’s important to remember though that pursuing excellence is a journey, not a destination. As in baseball, there will be errors along the way. Ichiro made 38 of them in 19 years (not bad!). A commitment to excellence is a commitment to recovery after those errors, even if they cost you the game. Recovering is key to continuing your journey to excellence.

A commitment to excellence also means continuous learning with a goal to improve and eradicate “repeat” mistakes. We should learn from them and improve as we keep moving forward. Another wonderful thing about a consistent commitment to excellence—even if you fall a little short, you should still be in the neighborhood; minor tweaks will usually take you the rest of the way!

To commit to excellence, you must have discipline and hustle. Without discipline there can be no real commitment. There will be times when we want to hang up our cleats and head to the house. There will be times when we want to cut corners for the sake of time. We may be tempted to accept a substandard product or process because there isn’t time for a do-over. Discipline is the art of obeying a code of behavior and must be in place to shun those temptations if you are to be deeply committed to excellence.

When you hear the word “hustle” you probably think of someone going fast. To hustle can mean to move fast, however, there’s more to it. Hustle is also a determined and focused effort to achieve goals and objectives. It is actively and persistently moving towards success, often with great energy and focus. Consistently hustling as a leader, and proactively getting after what must be done daily, demonstrates a true commitment to excellence and will make you a better and more consistent leader.

Baseball legend Joe DiMaggio, centerfielder for the New York Yankees in the 1930’s, was known for his hustle. He always ran fast out to his position, back into the dugout, and even hustled to first base when he hit an easy ground ball or pop fly where he would certainly be called out. A reporter asked him why he did that when often it would have no effect on the outcome of the game. His response showed a true commitment to excellence. He explained that somewhere out in the stands was a kid who was seeing him play for the first time. He said, “I owe him my best.”

Show Up and Be Available

There is an old adage in sports:? the best ability is availability. This absolutely applies to leadership. I mean, none of anything I’ve laid out so far will work if you are not there, right? I’ve always believed the first rule of leadership is to be available and present. Just like Ichiro, who showed up and played at least 158 games (out of 162!) per season for 13 straight years, a leader must show up and be ready to play every day. Being there is half the battle. The other half is putting in the work and being awesome!

Consistently being available for your team helps facilitate a positive relationship and enhances your approachability. It gives them opportunities to see and communicate with you to form a connection. I’ve had bosses who stayed in their office and came out only when necessary. I’ve had some who showed up around 9:00 a.m., left around 4:00 p.m., and were rarely available. They were difficult to talk and connect with. Their lack of availability and presence contributed to a climate of resentment and low morale. They were ineffective leaders.

On the flip side, I’ve had leaders who were “boots on ground,” out and about, communicating, and abundantly available. What some may call “in the trenches” leaders. They had a positive influence and were easy to talk with. They were leaders we looked up to. They created a climate of open communication (key to building trust), support, and high morale. Their availability helped make them awesome. Always be the leader you want to have and most importantly, show up and be available. That availability and presence will help make you the consistent leader everyone is looking for.

Bottom of the Ninth - Conclusion

Whether it’s baseball or leadership, consistency is one of the cornerstones for success and often puts you on the path to excellence. Showing up daily, mastering the basics, and staying disciplined and steadfast in the unyielding commitment to your goals and standards will produce consistent results and put you on a path to success. Hustle and a real commitment to excellence will tie it all together and make you the leader you want to have.

I watched Ichiro play his entire career. I was always impressed with how quick he got out of the batter’s box after making contact with the ball. It was almost as if he was running before he hit the ball! You can watch him do it in 2001 as a rookie and compare it to his later years and you won’t see much difference. He was committed to his standards, consistency, and excellence from beginning to end. That’s what made his career a playbook for success for us all!

Extra Innings -- Key Takeaways

1) Break things down to the basics; always keep basics and fundamentals sharp.

2) Invest in yourself--have a positive pre-work routine; consistent, positive habits produce positive results. Atomic Habits by James Clear (recommended book on routine/habits).

3) Keep valuable routines in place at work; provide teams with positive routines/stability.

4) Commit to excellence as a standard; internalize it and always execute with it in mind.

5) Build in discipline to ensure the commitment to excellence is protected and sustained.

6) Don’t accept anything below excellence; when you falter, ensure expedient recovery to keep driving towards success and excellence.

7) Hustle every day. Actively and persistently move towards success with energy and focus.

8) Be available and present as a leader.