You're a Rock Star!

A few months after my medical episode in 2016 I was well enough to get back on the ice and play hockey. My Boiler teammates and I booked a tournament in Pittsburgh and we were set to conquer yet another US town as a team.

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While we were down there we stayed at a hotel that shared a parking lot with PNC Park (MLB - Pirates) and Heinz Field (NFL - Steelers). That in and of itself was a huge memory from the trip, not to mention winning the tournament (of course). I’ve written about that elsewhere (see “Be a Champion”) so I won’t rehash it here.

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For this story, the premise is no matter who you are or where you are you are who others think you are. Think about that for a minute - you are who others think you are. Now I’m not condoning lying or impersonating others - for our part we were honest about our situation and those we spoke to just took it all in.

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On day one of the tournament we were at lunch in a restaurant close to PNC park. We had a massive table on the patio and were happily eating and drinking going about our business. While we were there, a couple at a nearby table came over to ask us where we were from. We told them we were a hockey team from Canada down for a tournament. Not sure how much they had been drinking that day but let’s just say they thought we were much more famous that we actually were.

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We played along with it and things kind of progressed from there. In short order the waitress had brought sharpies over and we were signing napkins and clothing for others in the restaurant. They thought we were actually professional hockey players - not the washed up men’s league players we actually were / are.

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Looking back on that trip I have many fond memories. There’s also some key lessons that come to mind:

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Perception is Reality: you are who people think you are. We didn’t advertise or parade around the restaurant looking for attention, it came to us. One enhanced belief of who we actually were cascaded into an autograph session over lunch we still laugh about today. I’ve written before about perception, this is yet another example and just goes to show you never know who is watching and how they perceive you.

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Just Go With It: we had fun with folks thinking we were better hockey players than we actually were. Since it was all in fun we just went along with it and enjoyed the moment. Sometimes you just get put in a situation where you don’t know where it’s heading - trust your gut and just go with it.

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Don’t Mislead Others: as I said in the outset, we never claimed to be anything other than a tournament team from Canada. Whether it was the perception that all Canadians are exceptional hockey players or that all of us are just born with a hockey stick and killer wrist shot, we never lied to them. The frenzy of people wanting autographs was created by who they thought we were, not who we told them we were.

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Had this story happened in Canada it would be just another day and there would be no fanfare for our team. The fact that it happened in a sports city like Pittsburgh makes the whole thing more nostalgic.

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Remember, you are who others think you are so make sure you put up a good first impression. Also, always carry a sharpie cause you never know when someone may want your autograph - especially if you are a hockey player from Canada.

Jim McKay is a seasoned supply chain executive with over twenty-five years experience in leading and coaching others. From the shop floor to the board room to the ball diamond and hockey rink, those who know him know that he has a few stories to share about life and leadership. Through his 'Reflections' posts and 'Reflections of a Workaholic' publications Jim shares his experience in transportation, supply chain and leadership through impactful and insightful stories that are meant to help and inspire others.

The commentary and opinions in these stories are his own...