Jeff’s Journal
By Jeff Whitaker
The famed Yankee baseball player and noted wordsmith Yogi Berra is quoted as saying, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” Now in all fairness, when you investigate further, the quote is reportedly referring to directions that Berra gave to his fellow ballplayer Joe Garagiola about how to get to his house. Supposedly the point Berra was making was that either way, Joe could get to his house. For most of us, when we come to a fork in the road, if we don’t have any prior knowledge of where the roads lead, we can find ourselves at a standstill not knowing which way to go. Depending on the fork we take, it can dramatically impact our future.
This past summer, the Phillies hit a fork in the road and management decided to make a change mid-season. Looking back now, that was a monumental decision and a good one at that. However, what if they had waited until next year? How did they make that decision? The consequences of that decision fell on the leadership of the team from the front office.
When you and I face our proverbial fork in the road, many times tough decisions need to be made. How do we make those tough decisions? We need to be grounded in our values and principles. It’s all about how we lead ourselves.
I’ve written about it before that everything rises and falls on leadership, whether we are talking baseball, the boardroom, families, our habits or disciplines. So much of what happens and doesn’t happen comes down to that one truth. Here’s the thing: it’s not all cut and dry either. When you consider the situation the Phillies found themselves in, it was quite a challenge. They had every hope that they could turn things around, but you just never know. It’s the same for each of us. Whether in business or personally, when we hit our fork in the road, it does no good to just freeze. You and I have to choose a direction. That’s why it’s important that we try to stay one step ahead of the game, always seeing what others don’t see. If you are in leadership in a company or even within your family, you need to have a kind of 360 sky-high view of things.
The question is how do you prepare for the unexpected? How do you make sure you are doing all the right things for your organization, your team or your family? You need to be forward-thinking in every area. Whether it’s on the baseball diamond, in the corporate boardroom, or our homes, being ready to make necessary shifts is essential to winning. With the economy, job market and so many other factors in play, it’s more important than ever that we pay attention to signs around us, stay up to speed on trends and such, and be in a position to make shifts. Leading ourselves, teams or our families is never easy. However, the key is to continually find ways to grow ourselves so we are in a better position to lead and help grow others around us. What are you doing to grow today?
