Step Up To The Plate

One of the great things about sport is that, if it is trained into the players, it develops the team mindset rather than a solo player mindset.

I remember playing some sports at school that I really enjoyed. One of them was Baseball. Baseball is a team sport, but one thing is noticeable. When the batter steps up to the plate, everything is up to him. He does his part for the team, but at that very moment, it is all about him. All eyes are on him to see how he will perform. He can’t pass it off onto someone else - at that moment he has to play his part.

Leadership can be like that. Some great leaders are solo players. Some great leaders play well as a part of a team. Some are great in the lead role, others are great in support, but regardless of where they play, a great leader will be able to step up to the plate and do his part for the team.

The first chapter of Joshua in the Bible speaks of Joshua being called to replace Moses, an incredible leader of several million people. In there, God says to him, “Be strong and of good courage”. Joshua was called to lead Israel, but he had to do it as Joshua. He was called to replace Moses not to be Moses. 

The key is not to try to be a leader that you are not. Know where you best play well and work hard at that. You can work at developing your weaknesses, but don’t forget to keep working at your strengths also.  
Somebody once said, “There’s no “I” in team, but it does have ‘me’ in it. I want to encourage you this month with this. Find your place in the team, and play your part to the very best of your abilities. Train and practice, train and practice, so that when it is you turn to step up to  the plate, you can hit a home run.

Have a winner of a month,

Adrian

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