Big Lesson In A Hug & A Photo

Do you know why I love this picture so much?

Not just because it's a great father-daughter photo, though I do love that about it. We've all heard the phrase, "a picture is worth a thousand words." So true. And there are many words behind this picture. I will try to keep them under a thousand.

I love this picture so much because it represents a moment that I will always remember as one which so perfectly personifies the heart of the young lady standing next to me. For those who may not know, that is my daughter, Kaylee. This picture was taken shortly after we had won the 2016 District Championship game at Bob Wren Stadium. Countless people were wanting to talk to me, shake my hand, take photos... and my wife was finally able to work her way through the crowd and she said to me, "Kaylee told me that she really wants to hug her daddy."

So, of course, I found Kaylee and gave her a big hug and then we took this picture together. But in that brief moment I saw something in her eyes and in her smile that was incredible to me. She was SO proud, and she was just as happy for me, the team, and our big win as if it was her own.

It wasn't her own. But it didn't matter to her, because what made her bubble with happiness and pride was not her own accomplishment, but that of her father and her brother. She couldn't contain it, and she just wanted to give me a hug to express it.

The heart of selflessness and genuine care for the good of others is what I see when I look at that picture.

The heart of someone who not only wishes for the success of others, but longs for it, roots for it, and celebrates it when it happens... that's what I see when I look at that picture.

The heart of unselfishness, as someone who I know would much rather be on the field than in the stands, yet is so invested in the lives of those she loves that it is like she is on the field with them regardless... that's what I see when I look at this picture.

This is why she will do great things. Because she truly cares about others as much as, and often times more than, she cares about herself. And because she genuinely wants the best for others. She's one of the most "others-focused" people I know.

A great example for all of us who desire to be great leaders, which is why I included her story in this blog. Kaylee, you didn't even know you were leading when you said, "I want to hug my daddy," but you have taught me one of the most valuable qualities in leadership... to have selfless, genuine concern for the well-being and success of others, so much so that you celebrate it as your own.

One of the things I've always liked to do is take a few of the principles that we are learning during a pre-season and hoping to instill throughout the season, and hang them as quotes on signs in and around our dugout. This past season, one of the signs that we had hanging in our dugout was this quote:

Do you want to know who your BEST TEAMMATES are?

Watch how they react whenever SOMEONE ELSE besides them does something good.

Kaylee's life is the model for this principle. When something good happens on any team or in any situation in life, she celebrates it. And she celebrates everyone's accomplishment as if it were her own. That's the heart of leadership. And when you have an entire dugout (or organization) filled with those kinds of teammates, you're going to have a team that is a joy to be part of.