As Yogi Berra says, “If you don’t know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else.”
Yogi was one of baseball’s stellar pinch hitters. In 1947, he whacked the first pinch-hit home run in World Series history. Visionaries know how to tag the long ball. And, Yogi’s long-distance vision never needed windshield wipers.
Red Skelton was a master slapstick comic. His bumpkin character, Clem Kadiddlehopper, could pratfall with the best. Except one day, back in 1954, Skelton plowed into a door on his show’s set. A young writer named Johnny Carson took Skelton’s spot. While Skelton nursed his concussion, Carson ended up with the break of his life. Johnny skyrocketed to success and reigned as the preeminent host of late-night television for nearly 30 years.
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An Italian opera company was touring in Brazil in 1886. On the road in Rio, the audience massacred the maestro mid-performance. They actually booed the conductor out of the pit! The orchestra pleaded with a young cellist to trade in his bow for a baton. His total mastery of Verdi’s Aida saved the performance – and launched the podium legacy of Arturo Toscanini.
Sports fans know Tom Brady of the New England Patriots is the hottest young starting quarterback the NFL has seen in decades. Not many remember that this two-time Super Bowl MVP was pick No. 199 in the 2000 NFL draft. It was only when Drew Bledsoe suffered internal injuries after colliding with a New York Jets linebacker that Brady got the nod early in the 2001 season. His stellar performance earned his team three Super Bowl championships.
The point is: These colossal careers – and countless others – were launched when ambitious and talented persons were ready to take charge on the spur of the moment. Whenever your department faces a major new task, learn the overall game plan. You may just be a little piccolo in a big band. In a crisis, you could be tapped to pipe the tune:
*Be accepted as a leader before you’re named one. This doesn’t mean throw your weight around. In fact, it means just the opposite. Great leaders are terrific listeners. They know how to be supportive. When tough decisions are on the line, they also weigh in and help energize the team.
*Study your boss’s qualifications. Why was she or he picked? Don’t imitate your boss’ style. Learn the skill sets they had to master.
*Specialize your skills. Many ace pinch hitters in baseball focus their skills. Some know how to tag lefties. Some can bunt to beat the band. Extraordinary moments can call for unusual skills that can’t be found in the regular lineup.
*Find out what your boss is reading. Better yet, sniff out what your boss’s boss is reading. Try to anticipate how management looks at the world. Time and again, I’ve seen it happen: Bosses turn to new blood when the veterans don’t get how the chief sees the future.
*Get the book on the pitcher. Pinch hitters often get their break when the opposing team stymies the regular lineup. Are you systematically studying your competition? Do you regularly check their Web site to look for new products, management changes and earnings results?
*Walk a mile in your teammates’ sneakers. You may be the best cellist or IT programmer in the world. And, you may stay chained to that chair forever. The guys and gals who make it up the next rung have empathy. They know the toughest challenges facing their co-workers … and help make their teammates’ jobs easier.
One of the great examples of being in the dugout at the right time with the right credentials was Martin Davis. He was “just” senior vice president of Gulf & Western Industries when Charles Bluhdorn died suddenly of a heart attack in 1983. Still, Davis bypassed the firm’s president and everyone else to become CEO. He used his exposure to the board to show he had the best handle on the business. Davis completely reorganized the firm into what became known simply as the media giant Paramount.
Any pinch hitter swings a weighted bat in the on-deck circle. But, the art of pinch-hitting is a matter of mind over muscle. The great ones weigh how they’ll use the chance to shoot the lights out.
Mackay’s Moral: If you want to soar to the top, it pays to be ready in the wings. n
Harvey Mackay is author of The New York Times best seller “Pushing the Envelope.” He can be reached through his Web site: www.mackay.com; or Mackay Envelope Corp., 2100 Elm St., Minneapolis, MN 55414.
