It’s one of my favorite weekends. We are in Baton Rouge for the Ole Miss/LSU matchup and these weekends are really special now because CeCe and I get to stay with Haley, John and our our youngest grandchild, Porter, who will be 2 in November.
Porter loves to be outside and his favorite activity is playing baseball. You may recall that he is not much of a shopper! First thing every morning, he wants to go outside. He has a baseball tee to set the ball on and hit with his bat, but he hates it. He is adamant that you pitch the ball to him, which is almost impossible to make it hit the bat as you never know when he will get that swing started.
I know if we could get him to hit off the tee more, his swing would improve, he would learn to watch the ball and his love of the game would expand even more. Winning tends to motivate [most of] us.
I continue to put the ball on the tee but he gets mad and kicks it over. So I put one on the tee and hit it off myself. Then, I clapped and celebrated how far the ball went. (I didn’t get that thrill very often as a child, although this was my best sport. Ha!) Porter showed some interest, so I put the ball on the tee and did the countdown he likes before he swings. One, Two, Three, SWING!
Luckily, he hit it on the first swing and it went out in the grass. I don’t know who was more surprised, me or him. Big clap, YEAH!! Way to go Porter! Suddenly, he wanted to put another ball on the tee. I continued to clap and celebrate with him even when he hit the tee instead of the ball. I may have been having more fun than Porter to be honest. Kids learn so fast and he improved even in those 20 minutes. He also got distracted and wanted to throw and swing again.
Our leadership lesson is not about teaching baseball fundamentals — it’s about the fact that when we recognize people for their efforts and results, and applaud them publicly, it motivates them. We all enjoy some praise from time to time. Are we applauding others enough when they do the right things?
THE REST OF THE STORY
CeCe: Did you get all of my bags out of the car?
Me: Yes, I did and hung your hanging clothes in the closet.
CeCe: Did you remember to bring Oliver’s treats?
Me: Yes, I brought his treats and a big bag for Henry (Haley’s dog)
CeCe: Good job! 👏🏻 😊
If you want to be part of building something bigger than yourself, this book is a great place to start! Jon Gordon on Leading with Significance
Grab your copy of Leading with Significance to find more magnetic insights to help you on your unique journey.
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