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6-15-09

 

“So many of our dreams seem impossible, then improbable, then inevitable.”

Christopher Reeve

 

 

Father’s Eyes

 

A teenager lived alone with his father, and the two of them had a very special relationship.  Even though the son was always on the bench, his Father was always in the stands cheering.  He never missed a game.

This young boy was still the smallest of his class when he entered high school, but his father continued to encourage him but also made it very clear that he did not have to play football if he didn't want to.  Yet, the young man loved football and decided to hang in there.  He was determined to try his best at every practice and perhaps he'd get to play when he became a senior.

All through high school he never missed a practice or a game, but remained a bench warmer all four years.  His faithful father was always in the stands, always with words of encouragement for him.  When the young man went to college, he decided to try out for the football team as a "walk-on."  Everyone was sure he could never make the cut, but he did.  The coach admitted that he kept him on the roster because he always puts his heart and soul into every practice and, at the same time, provided the other members with the spirit and hustle they badly needed.

The news that he had survived the cut thrilled him so much that he rushed to the nearest phone and called his father.  His father shared his excitement and was sent season tickets for all the college games.  This persistent young athlete never missed practice during his four years at college, but he never got to play in the game.

It was the end of his senior football season, and as he trotted onto the practice field shortly before the big playoff game, the coach met him with a telegram.  The young man read the telegram and became deathly silent.  Swallowing hard, he mumbled to the coach, "My father died this morning. Will it be all right if I miss practice today?"  The coach put his arm gently around his shoulder and said, "Take the rest of the week off, son, and don't even plan to come to the game on Saturday."

Saturday arrived and the game was not going well.  In the third quarter, when the team was ten points behind, a young man quietly slipped into the empty locker room and put on his football gear. As he ran onto the sidelines, the coach and his players were astounded to see their faithful teammate.

"Coach, please let me play.  I've just got to play today," said the young man.

The coach pretended not to hear him.  There was no way he could take a chance in this close playoff game. However, the young man persisted and, finally, feeling sorry for the kid, the coach gave in.  "All right," he said.  "You can go in."  Before long, the coach, the players and everyone in the stands could not believe their eyes.  This little unknown who had never played before was doing everything right.

The opposing team could not stop him.  He ran, he passed, blocked, and tackled like a star.  His team began to triumph.  The score was soon tied.  In the closing seconds of the game, the kid intercepted a pass and ran all the way for the winning touchdown.  The fans broke loose.  His teammates hoisted him onto their shoulders.  Such cheering you've never heard!

Finally, after the stands had emptied and the team had left the locker room, the coach noticed that the young man was sitting quietly in the corner all alone.  The coach came to him and said, "Kid, I can't believe it.  You were fantastic!  Tell me what got into you?  How did you do it?"

He looked at the coach, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Well, you knew my dad died, but did you know that my dad was blind?"  The young man swallowed hard and forced a smile, "Dad came to all my games, but today was the first time he could see me play."

 

Story from lovetolearnplace.com

 

LESSONS FOR LEADERS:

 

What we see in our mind’s eye is far superior to what we see with our own eyes.  The father went to every game for his son because he knew that one day the success that was already in his son would have a chance to shine.  The father did not need his eyes to see the greatness that lay within his son – he “saw” the young man’s potential so he reaffirmed that inner hero with his consistent attendance.  The father’s presence was the son’s inspiration.

 

Absence is not a reward for excellence.  As a leadership trainer, I cannot count the times that I have counseled professionals to spend time with their best team members.  Too often, leaders develop the mistaken notion that their strongest players are the ones they don’t need to spend time with – they don’t need to “attend” their functions or workplace.  Nothing could be farther from the leadership truth.  When leaders spend time with their high performing or high potential team members it signals their support and motivates their continued growth.  Time is one of the most precious commodities we can offer so when we spend time with another person we acknowledge their value and reward their effort.  We do not need an agenda or an action plan or a punch-list for time spent with our top performers; our presence is simply enough.  They will take that motivation and run with it.

 

The patience and persistence of the son also holds insight for us as leaders.  For years, the son worked diligently toward a goal of playing in a game.  He did everything that was asked, prepared himself and supported his teammates.  Season after season, he kept his dream alive.  We often praise the action quality of leadership but we can miss the value of stalwart patience – the power in preparation, the significance of calm.  But patience does not mean hibernation.  Being vigilant for opportunity does not preclude making one when the time demands it.  The son’s persistence in gaining playing time after his father’s passing is the result of his confidence spilling over into the moment; an unstoppable desire to excel when it mattered most.  That’s a quality all leaders share; the ability to not be denied when a critical window of opportunity opens. 

 

Leadership isn’t about how many minutes we play but rather what we do when we get our chance.  It isn’t about whether you’re in the headlines or on the sidelines; it’s about being ready on the frontline when it matters.  Leadership is supporting what we can’t see but that we know is there.  It’s about helping others see the hero inside each of them.  Leaders don’t reward people with their absence; they inspire them with their presence.

 

Leaders have the courage to see the greatness in all of us.  In the end, the son didn’t become a star because his father died; his son was already a star because of how his father lived.

 

 

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Christopher Novak is an author, international speaker and leadership coach whose signature book and keynote, Conquering Adversity, has inspired tens of thousands of people.  To learn more about his speaking services or to sign-up to receive more inspirational emails (if you were lucky enough to have someone forward this to you), visit his website, www.ConqueringAdversity-speaker.com.

 

 

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Summary of Services

 

Inspirational Speaker

Whether it is a conference keynote, featured presentation at a company gathering or a special event that needs a one-of-a-kind speaker, Christopher Novak’s “Conquering Adversity” message about the hero inside each of us is the ideal choice.

 

Leadership Coach and Training Facilitator

Christopher Novak brings creative, interactive and effective professional development right to your organization.  Experience working with more than 1,500 leaders and with a portfolio of curriculum designed to elevate your team’s skills, behaviors and attitude, Chris can take your training efforts to a new level of effectiveness.

 

Pirates of St. Croix

Our top-rated training program, this themed-learning experience seamlessly blends classic team leadership concepts with the mystique of buccaneer genre.  The objective is to introduce participants to characteristics of an effective team leader including communication, vision, delegation, problem-solving, diversity and initiative.  This is training people love to participate in.

 

Executive Coaching

One-on-one coaching or mentoring is one of the best ways to sharpen executive skill sets and increase overall leadership effectiveness.  We’re experienced in maximizing top level leadership potential – coaching individuals or working with senior teams.

 

Christopher Novak

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