Competencies

Many years ago at an off ramp in my life, a great and very wise man made a comment that has returned to me many, many times in watching issues unfold, ball games, relationships. The comment simply stated:  If the only tool you have is a hammer, then ever problem looks like a nail.

In putting on my reflection hat this early morning, my mind goes back to some of those very real leaders I watched closely and how they seemed to have an endless tool sack of questions, thoughts, statements, emotions that would be rolled out based on the situation at that moment in time.  

I see the adage often watching basketball games with young age boys and girls when you may have one shooter and four watchers and the whole team is slaved to that one shooter.  If that shooter is hitting the shots, that is good but for me in observing team play, the game is never just about the score at the end of the game.  In every trip up and down the floor, the fundamentals some amazing coaches grilled into me come screaming from someplace deep inside me.

Comments in my hard drive that are indelible:

• the baseline is your best friend or your worst enemy
• effective rebounders are ruthless and attack the ball all the time
• why do you have to dribble when you can pass
• blocking out is the secret to winning basketball
• watch the ball always
• when guarding watch the eyes of the opponents; they never lie

That is a very short list that, for me, forms a body of knowledge that becomes active the moment I walk into a gym, sit in a meeting, watch a situation unfold for those comments have emotional application regardless of where or what you are doing.  Another great one for me that is innately part of my life is called "looking away from the ball."

 As a spectator I will quickly transition from watching the boy with the ball to taking a broader, deeper view of the floor game to watch that players without the ball are doing, are plays being set up, are the players cognizant of ball location and movement and when the ball is shot, what does that trigger in both teams at that crucial moment.

So I never just watch casually a basketball game nor do I casually listen to dialogue or conflicts emerge or direction given for I look past that for the deeper motivation, intention and desire.  I played for an interesting, unique, at times frustrating, fundamentals coach in high school.  His philosophy was a highly controlled offense and an attack defense.  That was uncommon during those mid 1960s and made even more alien with the inception of the three point shot that changed everything.  Then came the era of the Michael Jordans and all the crazy dribbling, amazing passing and shooting. While more entertaining at the time, I began to watch the game and the game of life shift from fundamentals and team play to run and gun, single player dominance and the rest of the team fed that player.   For me the game took a giant step backward for the fundamentals of team player quickly evaporated in the mist of fancy play making, living and dying by the three pointer, etc. 

Leaders are just as good as their tool sack of competencies. Effective leaders constantly are seeking ways to enhance and to increase the objects in the tool sack so that when that moment of need comes the right tool, comment, question, approach is ushered for but all the time focused on maintaining the teamsmanship. So many times I have been on the giving and the receiving end of such effective leadership and likewise, have been in the situation where the need for effective competencies or the situation was muffed with much collateral damage.

This blog, for me, is about Life.  As I get older, I find myself thinking about situations, actions, leaders, non-leaders effectiveness, damage, anger long term impact, etc. Having coached many young leaders on my journey as well taught several thousand college students, I never forgot the purpose of a coach which is to find the key to each player at a very individual view to move that player out of the shade of complacency into the warmth of effective leadership of others. Oh it is so sweet to watch that transformation plus I know it will last a lifetime and affect thousands of others; the beneficiaries of the transformation. 

So here is my challenge: what really is your tool sack holding as tools to be used when needed?  Think about that and be objective in your inventory. Are you hammer for, if so, there will be an endless supply of nails around you on life's journey.