baldinbusiness

For years my grandfather promised to take the entire family to the Rose Bowl IF — and for a long while it felt like a big IF —Purdue ever made it to the Rose Bowl again. But then Drew Brees came along and everything changed. And with that change came my first trip to SoCal. As an impressionable freshman in College, I immediately wanted to transfer to the West Coast.

By the start of my Junior year of College I was living with an ocean view in Malibu, California. Pepperdine University was and is the most beautiful campus in North America (in my humble opinion). And if I had started there as a Freshman I am still convinced that I would have absolutely never looked back. But as a transfer Junior, I soon discovered how much I missed my friends, and the atmosphere of Purdue University. By January I was trudging to class in 6 inches of snow back in West Lafayette and loving EVERY second of it.

The lesson I had learned was that grass always appears greener on the other side of the fence, but it rarely is.

Even in Malibu.

I share this because life and work are hard. Given the wrong set of circumstances anyone can be tempted to:

– Search LinkedIn for a new job

– Compare your job with others

– Compare your family situation with others

– Buy new toys to make yourself feel better

– Self-Medicate with alcohol or prescription pain medicine

The list could go on and on indefinitely.

To be someone worth following, you have to be content with what you have. West Lafayette may not be as pretty as Malibu, but despite its lackluster physical beauty, it possessed an internal beauty—personified in human relationships—that Pepperdine could not match for me at that time in my life. I learned that by focusing intently on what I did not have, I had discounted the beauty standing right in front of me. And thus, made a bad decision in leaving my friends.

While the regret that ensued was recoverable —my parents appreciated the smaller tuition bill and proximity of Purdue to Chicago, and Purdue gladly took me back —this isn’t always the case.

Therefore, don’t get fooled by the green grass you see “over there.” Like Malibu, it might be incredibly beautiful, but still missing something valuable to you. The next time you find yourself tempted by what’s on the other side of the fence, start by remembering all the blessings you are already enjoying on your side of the fence.

I‘m not suggesting to never leave, I am simply suggesting to leave for the right reasons and not the wrong ones, and to be careful of the allurement of the “new and better.” As I discovered, “new and better” might still be missing something important.

The problem with the world is me.

I suppose you are, too, but I cannot change you. Adding more words to the seemingly growing divisions, problems, and injustices of the world also has limited impact. Besides, it does not change me, the problem.

I have found myself lamenting more frequently lately.

Is this world going down the drain? Is our country headed down an irreversible path of self-destruction? Will my kids, and yours, have a country worth living in when they are my age?

I don’t know.

It just hurts.

And yet, I am the problem.

I can’t imagine getting that call. I fear getting that call. The one that says your loved one is gone. Another shooting, another accident, another tragedy. And yet I turn past the headlines when it is just a normal weekend in Chicago, jettisoning real life for the sports section, hoping for a diversion.

I am the problem.

Life is busy, life is fast. Emails to answer, and calls to make. Better check those texts and reply to those likes. How superficial this has all become? Posting cute pictures, fun experiences, and “look at me” hustling updates. I hope you “like” so I feel liked.

Do I feel liked?

I am the problem.

I write these words in the sky. Headphones on, to-dos in mind, and executing-in-motion. Never stop, rarely rest. No wonder I am tired. Do I even notice the guy next to me? Do I know his name, or anything about him? Do I even care?

I am the problem.

I see passengers, feel them bump me and hit me with their stuff. We all have so much stuff! I see their frowns, their anxious gazes. How do I present myself, I wonder? How many of them notice me? Do I really notice them, or do I simply judge?

I am the problem.

I turn on TV, or read online. Noise, noise, NOISE! They’re wrong, they’re right. WE are right, and THEY are wrong. It is nauseating. Is there anything we agree on anymore? Then I remember that I am not above the fray. I have contributed to this mess.

I am the problem.

Solutions! Everyone has a solution to the problem. Outlaw this, protect that. If you are not for “this,” whatever “this” is, you are not a real person. People “like us” are about “this” and we include everyone, so long as they are with “us.” For, If our side was in charge, this would not be happening. Again, I am not above the fray here either. On the wrong day I spew cheap solutions to complex problems, admittedly thinking my way is the right way.

I am still the problem.

Tired, worn, and grieving. I grieve for the division. For, the souls that perished last weekend in senseless violence. El Paso, Dayton, Chicago, and too many other places. Names that should not be forgotten, but will soon be to most. I grieve for the lonely. For those that feel like there is no hope, no other option, and no reason to go on. I also grieve for the angry. If you listen deep enough, you can hear a longing for peace echoing over the yelling, shouting, name-calling, and finger-pointing. How do I know?

Because it is in my soul as well.

I am the problem.

You might be wondering what the point of this lament is?

There is a forest preserve not far from our house. It is located off a busy street that goes over a Highway. Cars hurry from one place to the next, seemingly always in a rush. Yet, this forest preserve still waits. It sits. Its trees extend to heights that cover it from the surrounding area. Inside it, one finds flowing streams. There are even a few small water falls where the stream flows down. If you look deep enough, there are also ponds with various sizes of bass and other fish. You can even see a family of deer wondering around if you are quiet enough.

It is heavenly.

The juxtaposition of the highway and forest preserve is the juxtaposition of my soul. The former is all about driving as fast as possible to get from point A to point B. The latter involves slowing down, reflecting, and intentionally observing.

I am the problem, but I follow the Good Shepherd.

He waits at the gate of the forest preserve. “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light,” He says. I am so sad, I say. “I wept,” He says.

Something tells me He is still weeping.

But like the stream’s constant flowing, don’t mistake the gentleness of His Spirit for weakness, lack of care, or power. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep,” He says. “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome this world.”

So while I am the problem, the Good Shepherd is the Hope.

When I reconnect with Him, my life’s circumstances don’t always improve. But I always improve for life’s circumstances.

And I trust his promise that life may not improve anytime soon, but it eventually will.

So my problem might persist for a while longer.

But one day…

A leader worth following is a lifelong learner. Constant personal reflection is one way to engage this pursuit. Any event can be a learning event if you keep your eyes, and brain, open to what is happening. There are always lessons to be learned.

Three days ago I completed our Country Club’s “Invitational” tournament, a 2-day member-guest match play tournament with various flights of handicaps. My partner — a BIB subscriber! — and I were in the second flight, which featured our current Club Champion, and a former Club Champion. This post is about the lessons I learned the last few days. I am sharing these lessons to not only model the reflective behavior I described above, but also because the lessons are worth sharing. They are listed in no particular order of importance:

Golf is best played with the target in mind. The more my mind shifts to the fundamentals of the golf swing, the higher my score becomes. I have found this applicable to business as well. Keeping focused on the end goal helps us more easily navigate the complexities of getting there.

I told my partner we would hit bad shots along the way —and we surely did—but our goal was to stay positive and hit a good recovery shot when we did.

Disappointment is toxic. I could not help but be disappointed when I chunked a chip just off the green Saturday morning and gift-wrapped the hole for our competitors. Nor, could I help being disappointed when I missed a 2.5-foot putt to tie the match on the last hole. But, I did not stay disappointed. I persevered by telling my partner our best golf was yet to come, and immediately hitting the practice green in-between matches. As fate would have it, later in the day I needed to make a similar putt on the same hole. Thankfully, I did the second time.

We should have lost our final match given how awful we played at the start. But we persevered and hung around long enough to give ourselves a chance to play better. And we did down the stretch, good enough to win 2 up. I have seen this same scenario in business — one more sales call, one more tweak to the design, one more…you just don’t know when it is going to “take.” Keep going.

Without my dad’s help, I would not have had the good swing thought I had, nor been able to make a ridiculous putt on the 15th hole Friday afternoon, or seen where I had to land the flop shot behind the 18th green —the shot that ended up hitting the flag stick and clinching our flight. I have learned in business, golf, and life, that he knows what he’s doing. Following his lead is not a bad play. Thus, I told him “thank you” on Monday morning.

Speaking of that flop shot, thanks to John Esposito for teaching me how to hit that shot. Nothing in life is solo. Thanks Espo!

Speaking of that putt on 15, Joe Renzi calmly got up afterwards and knocked down a 10 footer to tie the hole. I cheered loudly when he did because it was SO clutch. Yes, my partner and I were rooting for our competition to do well. Joe and his dad went on to beat us in the match, largely due to his amazing play. Cheering on others gives you a mindset that not only models the sportsmanship that makes golf great, but also frees the soul to be, and perform, at its best. There simply aren’t any studies showing that a vindictive and negative spirit outperforms a generous and positive one.

Finally, life is so much more than golf, work, or hobbies. As my partner and I gathered with our wives to go over for the closing dinner, we paused, and I prayed for the events that day in El Paso. To be someone worth following, you have to maintain perspective. No golf match is worth throwing clubs over. No business pursuit is worth losing a family over. Some things —faith, family, and life —simply matter more. Besides, doing well in the Invitational, as fun as it was, was only temporary. As I learned the following Monday at the office, life goes on….

I will close by saying this. I would not choose another person in the field to be my partner. Your friendship means the world, JK.

I can’t wait to do it again next year!

“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” is one of those statements we’ve heard so much that it just rolls right off the tongue. I must admit it is something I have said about others, and even myself. I guess when you are bald, and in business, you have become an “old dog” at some point along the journey.

The problem with this statement, however, is that research proves that it’s simply not true.

In their riveting book The MVP Machine, authors Ben Lindberg and Travis Sawchik talk about how professional baseball is embracing technology to increase player development. The authors credit Carol Dweck throughout the book, so I feel like I should mention her here as well. Her 2006 book entitled Mindset falls in my recommended “must reads” for all leaders.

The MVP Machine talks about several Major League baseball players throughout the book, but the section on Justin Verlander caught my attention. I was reading the book during the 2019 season which has been has arguably been one of his best. He has always been great. What did he need to improve? I wondered. Verlander’s statistics seem to prove that you can, indeed, teach an old dog new tricks.

A quick disclaimer: I know the mention of baseball statistics may send some of you running, but hang with me. You don’t need to fully understand these statistics to see the point I am getting at. All you need to know about Verlander is that he has been one of baseball’s best pitchers since the early 2000s. That being so, he was still traded from one organization — the Detroit Tigers — to the Houston Astros, with the latter being on the forefront of embracing the use of technology (cameras, trackman, etc.) to improve and develop the performance of their players. That’s when things really got fun.

Prior to being traded to the Astros, Justin Verlander threw fastballs 57% of the time and sliders (think a pitch with horizontal movement) 18% of the time, according to the baseball website Fangraphs. The MVP Machine describes his experience coming on board the Houston Astros and being subject to their performance improvement technology. First off, their video analysis suggested that his “2-seam fastball” wasn’t nearly as effective as his “4-seam fastball” (the general difference being in how one grips the baseball). In essence, they informed Verlander that while his “4-seam” was one of the best in the league, his “2-seam” was average at best. Why not ditch that pitch and throw all “4-seam” fastballs, they asked? Furthermore, they believed the data indicated he could be a more effective pitcher by throwing more sliders because the movement was harder for hitters to hit. Why not throw more of them as well? You can judge for yourself if Verlander heeded their advice:

2017: Fastballs 57%, Sliders 18%
2019: Fastballs 51%, Sliders 27.5%

I didn’t mention Curveballs (vertical and horizontal movement of the ball) above, but even they rose from 15.9 to 17.3%! Thus, presently 44.8% of Verlander’s pitches are either sliders or curves. This might not seem like much, but it keeps hitters from knowing what is coming. This all leads to the most important question: Did it work? Let’s look at Verlander’s contact percentage–the total percentage of contact made when hitters swing at pitches thrown–to examine.

2017: Contact percentage 77.8%
2019: Contact percentage 69.8%

While this is only one metric (and you can surf Fangraphs for all of them if you would like), it is clear that Justin Verlander is having more success getting balls past opposing batters post trade.

Would you take an 8% improvement from your team today?

Hopefully, you get the point I am trying to make. By using the resources available, and believing he could still —closer to the end than the beginning of his career —get better, Justin Verlander has once again become an elite pitcher.

It turns out you can teach old dogs new tricks.

Embrace this reality because it means that everyone on your team, including you, can still get better.