Leadership (& Life) After A Bad Call

If anybody has ever had a reason to be really ticked off, it's Detroit Tiger pitcher, Armando Galarraga. He's the underperforming pitcher (20-18 career record) from Venezuela who was one out away from throwing a perfect game, something only a handful of players in the history of baseball have ever done. He's not going down in the history books, though, for one reason: A VERY bad call at first base by veteran umpire Jim Joyce in the 9th inning. Everybody who saw the play live thought it was a bad call immediately; replay confirmed it. Joyce himself later admitted it and apologized. The media went nuts, of course, blasting Joyce for stealing a perfect game and the baseball commissioner for refusing to reverse the decision. And a lot of Detroit fans (and baseball fans, generally) are understandably angry about the way Galarraga got "screwed over."

But how did Galarraga respond to having THE moment every pitcher dreams about snatched away from him? 

How do you respond when the unthinkable happens to you?

There are all kinds of leadership moments of truth in this story. Not the least of which is the power of the big forgive. Or how to admit "I screwed up" when, in fact, you did. But one of the most notable things about this story, from our perspective, is the way Galarraga is simply refusing to let what happened yesterday define what he does and who he is today. 

In a phone interview with ESPN, Galarraga was asked about what he thinks about Jim Joyce and what will forever be known as THE BAD CALL. Here's what he said:

"Nobody's perfect and I understand...He (Joyce) feels really bad...He doesn't say too much...He's not good at language...He says I'm really sorry. I don't know what to do...I say it's ok! I give you a couple hugs - nobody's perfect!"

And with that, as far as Galarraga was concerned, the whole thing was over. At the beginning of the next game, the Tiger's manager sent Galarraga out onto the field to deliver the lineup card to a tearful Joyce, who was umping that day, too. They patted each other on the back. The crowd cheered. 

And a new game began.

There are too many leaders we know who are stuck in the future. They're dreaming about what could be if only they can line up the right resources, what might be if everybody on their team just gets their act together, what should be because by golly they've done enough to deserve it. But, frankly, we know even more leaders who are stuck in the past. They can't get over:

• The hurt somebody inflicted on them or
• The dreams that never materialized or
• The glory they once had but lost. 

Here's the deal: The only thing that really matters is right here and right now. Not what happened "then" or what might happen "one day." It's the game that you've been called to play today. 

Seeing possibilities is one of the practices we teach to help leaders make the shift to a renewable way of doing life and work. But what we mean by that is learning to see what is possible for the sake of doing what matters here and now. The PAWN process we've developed is designed to help you do that. We think seeing this way is the key to innovation.

But nothing – no process strategy, tool, coach, etc. – is going to help you do what matters today unless you can let go of what happened yesterday. And, for that, there is no better example than this unlikely Tiger.

 

There is only one response a renewable leader in the emerging future will have after a bad call:

Play ball!

Hey Church Leaders:

Click on the book cover below to get your advance copy of Seeing Through New Eyes: Using The PAWN Process in Faith-Based Groups and learn to see what is happening right here and now for the sake of doing what really matters.