We hear the phrase “out of left field” a lot when something unexpected — oftentimes strange — happens.

With three daughters playing high school softball, I’ve been spending a lot of time out in left field the past six weeks. I prefer being out there, away from other parents and out of the direct line of sight of my daughters.

I think about a lot of things during games: my to-do lists, complex work-related issues that require deliberation outside of the confines of the office, how proud I am of my daughters. I’ve come to realize that there are strategy and leadership lessons to be learned from the game of softball.

The past two seasons have been challenging for my girls as new members of this team and the community. It is a tight-knit program rich in tradition with very few imports. Discovering how they fit and the roles they play in an already established team dynamic has been difficult, to say the least.

As I have watched the girls navigate these challenges, I have made some observations:

Teams need a leader. With 11 seniors on this year’s team, you’d think leadership would be abundant. I’ve observed the exact opposite, and the lack of leadership when challenging situations have arisen both on and off the field has been clear. Simply put, someone needs to lead, but it must be someone that others will follow.

There are a few girls in our senior group who are natural leaders. A few seem uninterested or are afraid to step up for various reasons (shyness, too new to the group to feel comfortable). Another is one that people follow naturally, but her negative attitude has been a drag. Finally, there is one who wants so badly to be a leader, but no one really is interested in following because of off-putting behaviors.

As you look for the leaders on your teams, what behaviors or characteristics stand out, and how can you develop future leaders to ensure you maintain productivity and morale?

Leaders can sit anywhere. I have spent much of this season watching my daughter Claire as she supports her teammates from the dugout. A catcher for her entire softball career, Claire suffered from both illness and injury in the past few years and simply doesn’t have the arm she used to, which has limited her playing time. She is, however, a smart softball player, understanding the game at a level that few girls do. She is the loudest and most energetic cheerleader on the team — a trait that has not gone unnoticed by the coaching staff, her teammates and other parents.

At a weekend tournament more than halfway through our season, the coach found an opportunity to let Claire play. When she got to the plate and hit a single, you would have thought she hit a grand slam. Her next at bat was no different. She did her thing, directing from behind the plate and leading the team to victory. She went two-for-three on the day and was named Player of the Game by the tournament committee. They didn’t know she isn’t a starter or that she would likely be back in the dugout the next game. It didn’t matter, because Claire leads from where she is, and I couldn’t be prouder.

Who are the “Claire’s” on your team? Do you recognize them enough?

No one person can carry a team. I’d be remiss (and in a bunch of trouble at home) if I didn’t dedicate the last section of this blog to Claire’s twin sister, Blythe. As a pitcher, she bears a lot of weight on her tiny shoulders, and it shows. She takes her position seriously, and over the years has struggled with accepting that the game of softball is a team sport and requires more than effective pitching from the mound. (That belief was regrettably bolstered at times by coaches who put excessive pressure on pitching to make up for poor performance in other areas.)

After a particularly tough loss this season, Blythe was able to reflect on the game and point out, accurately, that she had pitched well, but still lost. Fly balls that would normally be routinely caught were dropped. Our offense provided inadequate run support. It only took eight years to get to this point of understanding that the team’s success doesn’t rely on her alone. I hope this is a lesson she carries with her into life.

While your top performers will be glad to step up and take on more than expected, it will wear on them over time if others aren’t held to the same standards. Are you holding everyone on your team equally accountable for results?

By the time this blog is published, our season — the twins’ last — could be over. The lessons I learned in left field will stick with me. I hope they will with you as well.

Leading from left field

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