Umpiring & Leadership
How Umpiring Taught Me to be a Stronger Leader
In my world there are 2 seasons: Baseball and No Baseball. That’s why February is always a special time of year for me-- The official start of Baseball…and Umpiring Season!
This marks my 31st season umpiring the game I love. Like many, I started umpiring at the Little League level and progressed over the years. Through good fortune, knowledge of the game, and outstanding mentors, I have been lucky enough to progress to the High School and College level. Having worked High School State Championships in two different states and umpired kids that have made the major leagues, there are many leadership lessons I’ve learned along the way, but here are a few I hold near and dear to my heart:
7 absolutes about Umpiring & Business Leadership:
The Game isn’t about You – Baseball Umpiring, like Business Leadership, isn’t about You! It’s the teams that are important. Both on the field & in your business. I’ve worked with Umpires that want everyone to notice them, and I can tell you that leads to more arguments and games that aren’t fun for anyone. In Business, your teams need to know that success hinges on their ability to complete the work. We can’t win with a ‘look at me’ approach.
Consistency is Critical – Coaches will tell you that a consistent strike zone is all they ask, even if they don’t agree with it! We all try to be consistently good and improve based on training & experience. The same holds true in Business – people don’t like working for a leader that has a roller coaster approach, high one day, low the next. Be consistent with your teams & you’ll see a whole new result.
Timing is Important – Whether you are calling balls & strikes, or outs & safes on the bases, timing is critical to getting the call correct. The plate umpire wants the pitch to be firmly in the catcher’s glove before making the call – too many bad things happen when your timing is quick – a dropped pitch, a late foul ball, etc. When you have great timing, the game slows down & your decision making improves. The same applies for business, rarely are things as critical as we make them out to be. Often, taking time to evaluate the situation, consulting others, and reviewing options leads to a better & sustainable solution.
Continuous Improvement – Get better, go to clinics, watch other umpires work. Striving to be better this inning, this game, this season will be a benefit to the teams and to yourself. In business, work on improving your knowledge, taking classes, seeking out others, etc. Continuous improvement isn’t just for Manufacturing, it’s an essential personal trait too.
You Won’t Always Be Liked, and Sometimes You’re Wrong – This is the stereotypical umpire dilemma. Fans, players, and coaches often can be at odds with the umpires. I rarely eject a coach, but the coach that comes up and stands side-by-side with me is going to get more respect and attentiveness from me. They often come up and ask what I saw, and they’re rarely confrontational. Compare that with the coach that is going bill-to-bill with me? All I’m listening for is something that gets them ejected. I would never admit to that style of coach that I missed the call or could be wrong. The same happens in business. When I was a young supervisor, I thought I needed to yell occasionally to show my passion for the work, but I quickly found that those employees never returned to talk with me. I learned to approach them differently and even admit that I made mistakes too. Admitting that you don’t know or made a bad call is not a sign of weakness, but of strength.
Every Pitch/Play Has an Outcome – I love this about baseball – we have a call for every pitch. There are no ‘do-overs’. It’s the same in business – every day has an outcome, sometimes we lose & other times we win. It’s more about what you learn from the wins & losses that determines your long-term success.
Mentor Others – This is the ultimate pay-back or pay-it-forward in baseball and in life. Passing on your wisdom, knowledge, and experiences to help another person says more about you than any other trait. I enjoy seeing people I’ve mentored succeed-- whether that is getting a State Championship game or a well-earned promotion.
Umpiring & Leadership – what a concept! In this age of everyone hating on the umpire/referee, I hope I’ve given you a different appreciation of those that call the games we all love to play/watch.!