In the last year my youngest has suddenly become interested in baseball again. Someone spent time with their dad.

There are positives to come out of the last year-plus. For many of us, it is that we got to know ourselves. Some of us took the time to assess and improve. Others took some time just to chill out and bump it down a gear. While still others went headlong, adjusting and taking on new challenges. During specific periods, I felt like I did all three, including a lot of self-reflection and thinking about my leadership. Sometimes, I even wondered out loud if I wanted anything to do with leadership anymore.  

I have been and always will be a teacher at heart. So my definition of leadership is someone who empowers those around them—improving, guiding, and supporting people in the shared mission. Someone who builds consensus whenever possible and makes sure that the work is in alignment with the mission. This type of leadership was difficult in the world of Zoom and Google Meets. Now it is just uncomfortable.  All the social norms have big question marks around them. Mask or no mask, lunch or no lunch? How far can I step into your office? Do we shake hands or fist bump? All of these factors have added additional complexity to just everyday life, never mind leadership. 

In the executive role, a leader guides the organization through change and helps the organization adjust to headwinds. A leader is the person who coordinates decision-making, asks the hard questions, and sometimes has to be the final arbitrator. This was, in some ways, easy in a pandemic. The first 12 months, it was all about planning and details. I adapted much better than I thought. I am not a detailed person, but I think I did OK when the challenge was there.

Three crucial qualities are necessary for leadership, and they are integrity, communication, and humility.  A leader must have integrity and be invested in the organization’s mission, and follow through with what is expected. They must be dedicated to clear communication. This includes listening, not always speaking. Leaders must also have humility, showing that they are not perfect and may make mistakes. That they do not have all the answers and are learning; they are on the journey with the rest of the team.

Leaders must have ownership of the mission and vision of the organization. We always think of “idea men” (yes, patriarchy) and “movers and shakers” when we think about leadership. However, true leaders take responsibility for both success and failure, including their peers or subordinates. They must trust the process, themselves,  and those around them. These are important because they speak to the human side of the organization. These values are crucial because everyone needs to be brought along. Leaders are only as strong as those who follow.  

I often use baseball analogies when thinking about life. I have used the one below several times when teaching and in library meetings. Analogies are important because they help us understand and put things in perspective. They connect complicated concepts with things we enjoy.

I often compare leadership to pitching in baseball. Everyone is born with levels of natural talent. Most people can throw a ball. Some have the natural skill of throwing extremely hard, accurately, and/or being able to manipulate the ball’s path as it travels. Sometimes a pitcher has all three. Many times they need to learn one or more of those skills. Simultaneously they need to learn analytical skills, like knowing what to pitch and when–what baseball people call finesse pitching. The best pitchers in the league have long-lasting careers because they grow and evolve. They are great because they are willing to learn and adjust over time. They replace natural talent with the knowledge, not just resting on their laurels. Also, certain types of pitchers work in certain situations. Leaders are born with natural talent. However, it is what they do with that talent, striving to improve continuously but with humility, that matters in the long run. 

Often, when pitchers get Tommy John surgery (a repair of the ligament in the elbow) they come back better. Not just because of the surgery, but because they had time to work on the “finesse” part of pitching. I feel in a way this pandemic put us all on the injured list, making us think about what we do, how we do it, and most importantly why we do it.

I did not spend the pandemic thinking only about leadership. However, it was always in the back of my mind. While I don’t believe this is over, we are in the 8th inning with a decent lead. Because of that, we need to think about tomorrow’s game and the game after that. It is a good feeling.