Determination

Determination comes in many forms. Sometimes it’s from within, sometimes it’s from an experience that left us feeling defeated or sometimes it comes from encouragement.

I usually write about leadership in the corporate world sense, but this week I am going to approach it from a different angle. I just got home from playing in the second ever Red Sox Women’s Fantasy Training Camp in Fort Myers, Florida.

If you ever want to learn about or see determination, you should come watch these amazing ladies play baseball. There were about half of the women who were veteran players from last year’s inaugural camp, and half were rookies, playing for their first time at the beautiful Red Sox Spring Training Complex. They came from all walks of life; some who play softball or baseball at home, some who are athletes only in their heads, and some who have never swung a bat in their lives. Regardless of their experience levels, they all showed up.

On day one, we go through several drill stations where we get a quick lesson on pitching, catching, fielding both fly balls and ground balls, and of course hitting. Then we get to put into practice what we learned. The whole time we are trying out each position, we have the support of former Red Sox players, players from current day women’s baseball and cheering from women who played baseball in the All-American Girls League. We listen intently and adjust our game, each time seeing a little more improvement.

It’s intimidating to walk up to home plate. The same home plate where the major leaguers walk up to. It’s intimidating watching a former Red Sox player on the mound getting ready to throw you your first pitch. For me, I wanted to see my team, The Boston Peaches, win their first game in history. Last year we played our hearts out, but fell short on all three games we played. This year, we ended up going 4-0 and losing in a tough game in the World Series.

Where did my determination come from? Well, as I said in the beginning, it came from within. My own internal cheerleader who wanted me to make some good plays. It came from last year’s heartbreaking losses. The most of my determination came from those around me. My teammates cheered me on whether I struck out or hit an RBI. My coaches and manager believed in me, encouraged me and didn’t give up on me. That my friends is the trifecta of my determination.

Let’s think about how this translates into the corporate world. It’s easy. Find out what motivates your people, encourage them even when they are not at their best and never give up on them.

Please share your stories or thoughts on determination.

Thank you for reading, and have an AMAZING week!