Playoff Attitude

Major League Baseball decided to change the playoff format to bring more excitement throughout the year. The change allows one more wild card team to make the playoffs. The two wild card teams will then have a one game play off. The winner gets to play in the divisional play offs and the loser goes home.

With this new format of course, you have some players that love it and others that, shall we say just aren't fond of it. This year the Atlanta Braves earned one of the wild card playoff spots with a couple weeks still to play in the regular season. With only a few days left in the season the other wild card spot was earned by the St. Louis Cardinals.

The media asked the players what they thought of the new playoff format. Chipper Jones, one of the greatest Atlanta Braves players to ever play for the organization was one of those players asked. He said he was not a fan of the changes. In one game too many things can go wrong. The ball can take a bad bounce and the better team could lose. There is too much riding on a one game playoff. When the St. Louis Cardinals manager, Mike Matheny, was asked the same question here is how he answered. "We are ecstatic with the new format. If it wasn't for the new format we would be packing to go home right now. We love it!"

Can you guess who won the one game playoff between the Braves and Cardinals? To be honest, I wasn't surprised. Chipper wasn't the only Atlanta player to share his opinion of unhappiness before the game. The St. Louis manager wasn't the only Cardinal to share his opinion of excitement with the new format. I believe the "playoff" attitude had everything to do with the outcome of the Braves losing. The Braves players didn't have a positive attitude going into the game. They were down and unhappy with the situation they were in. On the other hand, the opposition was excited and had a great attitude going into the game.

Attitude has a great deal to do with success or lack of it. What is your attitude when it comes to your success? Are you in a situation that is unfair? Did you lose a job, not get the promotion you wanted, or lose the game because of a bad call? I recommend that you start with your attitude if you want to change the outcome. Don't get caught up in the unfairness of the situation. Life happens and we are all in different places. Where the attitude goes so do you.

Leadership Is A Choice

 Recently, at a management seminar titled "Voice of Leadership" a statement was thrown out that leadership is a choice. The more I contemplate the statement the more I whole heartily agree. I would even go so far as to say that it is neither an easy choice nor an easy thing to do. How hard is it to stay in bed a few extra minutes each morning? How hard is it to be selfish and not invest in others? Those are a few of the easy ways out.  The choice of discipline is what makes daily reflection time a priority when there doesn’t seem to be any extra seconds in a day. Time to reflect on what can I do better today? What went well yesterday and what needs to be changed today? 

It is a leadership choice to humble yourself. Humble yourself to make the lives of others around you easier instead of saying, "I am the boss, they can adapt to me. After all, I am the leader." It is a choice to embrace differences. As a Gen X’er it is a choice to adapt to a Gen Y’er.  A leader doesn’t say, “This new generation can adapt to us. After all who do they think they are? We have been here longer.” No, of course not.  A leader makes the choice to step forward to embrace and adapt to an ever changing world.

I believe that many people think leadership is in the position or title. That is not the case. Many people end up in management positions due to the stable income, pay increase, or title. That alone does not make the leader. Just because you are the best ball player doesn’t make you a good leader. Was Terrell Owens the best receiver in his prime? Who would argue that he is a great leader? Just because you make the best widget and get promoted to foreman doesn’t make you a leader. Those are positions for leaders but just because you have the position doesn’t make you a leader. If you have any age on you I believe you have probably come across the "leader" that doesn't lead. Leadership is a courageous choice that YOU can choose too no matter your position or title.

Turn It Around

Many times it is easy to get caught up in what other people are doing and the impact it has on you. After an incident in a Wal Mart parking lot I would ask you to turn it around and look at what you are doing and the impact it may have on others.

I was turning up an isle in the parking lot looking for a spot to park. I learned long ago it is much easier to drive to the end of an isle furthest from the store. It saves time compared to slowing down and waiting for every person getting into their car to get situated and then finally pull away. Plus, the added benefit is that I get the opportunity to add a little exercise for the extra distance I have added. On my way up this one way isle I come to a dead stop. The reason is that a Cadillac two cars in front of me has decided to wait for a spot of a shopper that is loading their car with groceries. The one way isle is so small that you can’t go around the vehicle in front of you. At this time I cannot back up because a vehicle has pulled behind me.

I sit there for what seems to be five minutes trying to figure out how to get around the vehicles so I can go find a spot where few dare to go. Having no success I just wait. During this eternity of time I have begun to think not so nice things about the driver who seems to have all day and is oblivious to the cars he is holding up behind himself. I also wonder how someone can be so lazy as to not be able to walk an extra 20-30 feet.

It is at this time I realize to turn it around. The gentleman could be very well be thinking about how so many people are inpatient as to not wait for someone to put their groceries away. What has this world come to that everyone is so busy and has no time to relax and reduce stress?  So, me being me I have decided to make a comment to the gentleman if he dares to be outside his car when I walk by. That comment was going to be, “Sir, I don’t know what is worse, you being so lazy or me being so inpatient. But either way we have issues.”  By God’s grace the gentleman wasn’t out of his car when I walked by and of course I was in too much of a hurry to wait for him to get out so I could make myself feel better by making my crafty comment. After all I had exercise to do.

As the day went on I thought about the situation more and more. I realized that if I can remember to turn things around in the future then I would probably have much less stress and better be able to understand others perspective. And as my wife reminds me it may just keep me alive longer. It will prevent me from making a comment to the wrong person one day who may just pull out a gun and shoot me.