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Intro
I had a longer piece written about observations of the current state of our country with the United States. I need to revisit it to ensure it highlights some of the positives, versus focusing so much on the other side of the coin. The emotion can provide some significant energy to write, but that doesn’t always make for a great coherent story. I would like to bring some of those bright spots forward, rather than dwell on the worst on its own—we have enough visibility into what’s covered in the news.
Instead, this is more of a feel good story about leadership from high school athletics, specifically with my experience, learning from those who gave up so much to teach a few things to kids, helping make better humans.
The Story
Leaders Lead, Regardless of the Payback
In many cases, if you are to look at the potential for value compared to the level of effort required by a leader to develop an individual, it would make zero sense. Spend 6, 12, 18+ months, and the contributor may be barely making it, or will take 2 years to reach their value for the company. Sometimes the lift is not worth the work when looking at it on paper.
If that’s the case, why do leaders do it? Duty? Goodwill? Bottom line? Or is it something beyond the business metrics or directives?
Leaders lead.
Any time, any place, any circumstances, and it’s a distant matter of who, how many, or what the work is.
You know you’re a leader when—in an interview they ask how many people you have led as if that’s an all encompassing unlock. She’s led 200 people, he’s led 100, oh one has to be a better fit. Complexity, volume, direct reports, organization size, department size. Of course it matters in comparison of different size and scope. Sure complex organizations are complex, but it’s still leadership—the technical aspects where you may have gaps in experience, that’s where the big difference is across companies.
But leaders don’t shy away from leadership opportunities to make a difference. Management of complex business is real, but leaders lead. Leaders see X number of people as an opportunity for impact—the details on how can be determined. Leaders see opportunity and areas for growth. Leaders see conflict and challenge. True leaders may not be Level 5, some may not call them ‘A Players’, but they lead. They find a way to cut through the noise and lead the team to a better place, finding their potential and helping each individual and collective achieve heights they’ve never dreamed of.
Coaching is one area I think about within leadership. I love companies as teams, not families. You don’t fire your cousin because of a lack of performance, but you’ll cut your point guard. My high school baseball coach stands out for me. My football coach (Coach John Broughton) was a legend within the town, my dad coached a lot and I appreciate all his efforts, but there is something about a high school baseball coach. Fewer players, proximity to the team, maybe it was just because it was my favorite sport to play, or I just got lucky with legendary coaches.
Put Me In Coach
Coach Bill Stoudt, at Pendleton Heights High School, was the classic Indiana high school baseball coach. Of course he is a Vietnam Vet. And I know people said he was a former drill sergeant. Of course he was a PE Teacher at a small town high school in Indiana. Of course he had all the great one-liners, and of course he played the cool hard-ass coach, yet was so calm, kind, and caring. He had been there forever before I was there, and he was there forever after I was long gone. He was so good at being that smooth with style and temper, older man that high school baseball players respect the hell out of.
Coach Stoudt was like that cool younger grandfather with white hair, a great tan, like a cool former Navy Seal type. I’m certainly a bit cloudy on some of the details from that far back, but I respect him and value him so much now. Funny—I am also sure he wasn’t that old at the time, but it’s all relative, right? He reminds me of what I hear about coaches like Saban, Krzyzewski, and Knight. The sad thing—I didn’t give him enough respect or credit then, and I certainly didn’t appreciate him as much as I should’ve. And when you think about it, how many high school teens are so selfish and don’t see what’s being gifted to them. I wish I would’ve appreciated it more in the moment and showed the maturity that I thought I had at that time, and realize that I did not yet. I was selfish, as I am sure lot of teenagers are at that stage in their life, as their is so much about them when you think about it. But that hurts to think about how I was selfish and the lack of gratitude for the gift. When I think about that situation or others, I vow to never allow that to go unappreciated in the moment. I am sure in the moment, I thanked him, but I owed him more of a thank you that could’ve been made to a cashier. I know I didn’t do it justice, and you know the type of coach he was, that was probably just fine to him—he just kept on giving to everyone.
Leadership Lessons from the ‘ole Ball Coach
It’s like how I think of Peyton Manning—you value him so much more when he’s not doing what he does. I loved Peyton’s fire, style, work ethic, and pursuit of excellence, coupled with class and humor. But it was just what it was when it was in front of us, but now it’s the stuff of legends. Stoudt embodied respect with classic presence. Foundational principles put to work to teach young men, and high school kids in general.
Here are just a few things we can learn from Coach Stoudt:
Shaping the future is something worth living for
Referencing those old corny sayings make things memorable
The impact you have now may not be felt until later
Excuses are like assholes
Pick your thing—your talent, passion, drive, fire, and roll up into one. Don’t do the thing that popular shiny thing, do your thing
Don’t follow the crowd—do things the right way, because it’s the right thing to do
You want mystique and legend? Put in the work, earn respect, and do it for 30+ years
Leaders lead
Some thing’s are more meaningful than money
Money does not measure one’s value as a human
Mistakes Make Better Leaders
Some of us on the team made a mistake and in order to earn our way back on the field, we needed to show we wanted to be there. That my be the only time I ran 5+ miles in one shot, puked three times, and ran extra every single day, Monday to Saturday, for at least two weeks—Coach Stoudt taught me the value of learning from my mistakes, taking ownership, and paying for my mistake in a productive manner to understand the gravity, the impact, and the selfishness it involved. Looking back, what I learned was less about the actual mistake, the penalty, the cost, rather, it’s about the lost opportunity. We weren’t going to win the state championship, at least I don’t think we were that good, but we did have the capability as a team to do something special, really have something memorable as a senior group, and we tossed that aside. We cost our fellow teammates an opportunity. We cost ourselves an opportunity to make memories that come with a team that live on beyond our time. He taught us to own our mistakes, pay for them in some cases, and when you stop and think, what we lost by making those mistakes. All this made us better—not baseball players, but better people for being on his team. Coach Stoudt showed us his value and values as a leader, and he taught us to take ownership.
Leadership.
“You don’t like it my way, go make left hand turns,” pointing towards the track.
Thank you, Coach Stoudt
Closing
Legend has it, not sure if it’s true—many years ago, Coach Stoudt gave up the opportunity of being a part of a significant business opportunity to continue teaching and coaching. He’s the type where that doesn’t surprise me at all.
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"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
- Mark Twain
About the Author, Graham Peelle
