How Are You Playing the Game?
Champions are GIVEN a ring. Spectators must PURCHASE a T-Shirt.
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It’s World Series Time. The Yankees and Dodgers are the last two teams standing, and they are slugging it out in a “Best of Seven” series to determine who will be the 2024 World Champions. By the time this newsletter is posted, we may well know the outcome.
If you’ve tuned in to watch any of the Series, you’ll see a stadium full of spectators excited to cheer on their respective teams. On the field, you’ll find the competitors taking turns at bat or in the field. You’ll also see the referees who are making sure the rules are followed, as well as calling balls and strikes. The groundskeeping team is stationed close to the field to respond, as needed, to keep the field in top condition.
In the dugouts and at first and third base, you’ll see the coaches who are directing the action. In the skyboxes, you’ll see the owners, announcers, and commentators. In the production trucks in the parking lot, you’ll find the production crew. Camera operators are strategically stationed throughout the stadium to bring the action into your homes and onto the big screens in the stadium.
Throughout the stadium, you’ll find stadium staff, restaurant and souvenir vendors, as well as first responders, law enforcement, and firefighters. In the parking lot, you’ll find the tailgaters, the parking staff, shuttle drivers, and the occasional ticket scalper. And somewhere, you may find the organ player, engaging with the crowd throughout the game.
When you take the time to look around, there are a lot of folks, doing a lot of different things, all at the same time. Every person there has a different role to play. For example, fans are there to watch, players are there to perform, referees are there to assure fair play, and coaches are there to determine who plays what position, as well as the batting order.
The demands and obligations of each person differ, based on the role they play. So do the outcomes and results they experience.
Everyone’s there, but not everyone is playing the game the same way.
This is where I want to spend a few moments and help you answer this question:
How are YOU playing the game?
The role you are playing in life will determine the demands life places on you, the obligations others place on you, and the outcomes you will experience as a result. You get to choose the role you play. Some roles are passive while others are quite demanding. Some roles demand little of you while others demand that you constantly improve and develop yourself.
So, let’s examine the roles of the people in the stadium.
First, there are the spectators. These are the people who are content to sit and watch from afar. They cheer and jeer from their seats in the stadium based on what’s happening on the field. Spectators are passive participants who simply show up to be entertained. They can come and go as they want, and do little (if anything) to influence the outcome of the game.
Nothing is required of the spectator other than they show up and fill an empty seat.
Some spectators wish they were on the field, being a part of the Team, but have relegated themselves to passively sitting in the stands, removed from the action on the field, and simply watching from afar. While some may have raw talent and ability, they’ve never developed it to a level that would garner the attention of a coach looking for their unique skill set to contribute to the Team.
Nothing is required of the spectator other than they show up and fill an empty seat.
Next, there are competitors. These are the men (or women) who have taken the time to develop their skills and talent in such a way they stand out. They have put in the hard work required to become world-class at their chosen Art, profession, or trade. Moreover, they are committed to staying top-of-class so they can keep playing the game they love.
Being a competitor isn’t a passive activity. It demands they be active, intentional, and focused. For the competitor, it’s not just showing up on game day. It is doing daily what is required so when game day is upon them they can perform at the highest level and contribute to the Team’s chances of winning. Remember, successful people do what unsuccessful people do sometimes, or not at all.
For the competitor, it is not just about his/her individual contribution. It is also about learning to work together as a Team, each contributing to a collaborative process that leads to victory.
In the stadium, there are also coaches. Often former competitors themselves, coaches serve an important role in how the game is played by identifying the individual players who will contribute, and in what role. They evaluate the player’s strengths and weaknesses to determine where they best serve and support the Team.
Coaches also serve another essential role, and that’s how to combine the individual talent of each player into a collaborative, cooperative effort. Teamwork makes the dream work. Coaches are the leaders who assemble high-performance Teams, tapping into the collective strengths and talent of each individual player so that they perform as One.
Like the competitor, serving as a Coach isn’t a passive role, but it’s not as active as that of the competitor. You’re watching the game, but instrumental in the outcome. Coaches are giving back, contributing in a meaningful way, to help others reach their full potential.
Being a coach demands that you continue to develop yourself, develop your Team members, and develop a sense of community within the Team. They also have to study the competition to determine how to properly position the Team for the best chance of victory. Coaches are also teachers, encouragers, cheerleaders, accountability partners, and (sometimes) a listening ear.
On the field, you’ll also find the umpires or referees. Referees govern the action on the field, assuring the rules of the game are followed. They are responsible for fairness in competition. Like the Coach, being an umpire is a semi-active role. Referees are on the field, like the competitors, but they passively observe the game. They don’t field the ball nor swing the bat.
But being an umpire or referee requires that you know the rules of the game, go through an annual certification process, and fairly administer and enforce the rules without favoritism. While you get to watch the game, like a spectator, if you’re a referee you’re actively involved in the game’s outcome. You’re calling balls and strikes, as well as who’s out, or still on base.
You’ve got to be willing to ignore the noise of the crowd and the complaining of the coaches and players when your judgment is challenged. It’s not a popular role, but it is essential to the fair application of the rules for both teams.
Lastly, you’ve got those in supporting roles. Vendors, staff, law enforcement, first responders, EMS, and firefighters. Add to that there is the production team, camera operators, scorekeepers, announcers, commentators, and the Organist. These individuals are there to make sure that everyone in attendance is safe, secure, fed, entertained, and supported. Some of these roles are passive, others are somewhat active, but all contribute in some way to the overall experience of the event. Some of these roles require specific talent or training. Other roles require little talent or training, other than a willingness to serve others. These are the behind-the-scenes roles that we often take for granted, but appreciate when they perform the role they were tasked with.
So, let me ask you again…
How do YOU play the game?
Are you passively going through life, like a spectator, willing to simply show up and be entertained? Little or nothing is required of you because you haven’t taken the time to develop your skills and talent so you can meaningfully contribute to a Team.
Being a spectator is easy, as it requires nothing of you other than showing up.
This is where most people live their lives, far below their potential.
Or, are you a competitor, willing to daily hone your skills and talent so you can contribute at the highest level to a Team’s success? Working under the tutelage of a Coach (or Mentor) who is constantly helping you learn, grow, improve, and bring the best version of yourself, you can’t wait for the next opportunity to compete and win.
Being a competitor isn’t easy. Why? Because it demands a lot of you. It requires that you commit to becoming the best version of yourself, and improving on that every single day.
But you can’t be a Champion if you don’t compete and win.
Or, are you at a season of life when you’re best suited to contribute your years of experience as a competitor to help others rise to their full potential as a Coach? Leaders create leaders, and this is what Coaches do. They help each individual player fully develop their potential and work with other fully developed players to cohesively perform as One.
It’s another demanding role, as you’re responsible for the success or failure of another person. But it is one of the most rewarding support roles you can assume. Being a Coach is about not just success, but significance as you build a lasting legacy of teaching others how to lead themselves well, make good choices, and win and lose with dignity.
Referees are needed, too. There is a need for those individuals who make sure that others follow the rules. Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. Referees are there to make sure the right thing is done, and to call the “balls and strikes” of life. It is a selfless job, and often a thankless job, except for those who appreciate playing by the rules.
But, it is a necessary role, to make sure that everyone has a fair chance to win.
Are you willing to serve in the background so the game can go off without a hitch? If so, then perhaps you’re at a place in life where serving in a supporting role is how you best play the game. I was in an organization in Pennsylvania last week and met a number of people in supporting roles that were essential for the organization’s decades of success.
I met IT specialists, a receptionist, customer service personnel, graphics designers, sales support personnel, a mail room clerk, and maintenance workers who all contributed to the success of this firm. The leaders of the organization went out of their way to point them out, note their contribution, and brag on how well they served in that role.
How you play the game matters.
There are different roles, each with different demands.
Some roles require little of you. Others demand more.
You may say, I’m OK with being a spectator because I’m the customer and everyone else is performing for me. While that may be true, everyone else is taking your money (and the time you invested to earn it). What are you getting in return?
If you want to rise to your full potential, you can’t just be a spectator.
You’ve got to find a way to get more involved in the game.
Only the Competitors and Coaches who win are given the Championship Ring. They earned this right and privilege because they did the unspectacular work of daily preparation so they could provide a spectacular performance when the lights were on.
Spectators can only get a Championship T-Shirt, but they have to pay for it.
What about you?
How you play the game determines how you’ll be recognized and rewarded.
How much success do you want?