“It’s not what you do once in a while; it’s what you do day in and day out that makes the difference.” Jenny Craig
He was known for making a difference. One of his favorite sayings was “Digging for gold is more important than the gold itself; that's why I say let's play two.”
He understood the principle that who you become in pursuit of a goal is more important than the goal itself, so for 19 years, he took responsibility for his attitude and showed up every day with a grateful disposition and a smile. His influence opened the door for a number of colored baseball players to enter into major league baseball. He changed the way baseball fans saw colored athletes because of his competence and kindness.
Who was Ernie Banks?
Banks, born in 1931 as the oldest son of 12 children, grew up in Dallas, TX. His father worked in the cotton fields earning $10 a day. Ernie was a keen observer during his early childhood, watching and learning from the older kids as they played baseball. Banks quickly learned as a young man that he could make everyone around him smile and a lot more comfortable by how he managed his attitude. He focused his energy on his circle of influence instead of his areas of concern, which he had no control over.
What did developing his competence while growing his grateful and positive attitude achieve for Ernie?
·He was signed by the Chicago Cubs when he was 22 years old.
·He hit a home-run his first time at bat in the major leagues.
·He was the first Negro player on the Chicago Cubs baseball team.
·He was the ninth player in the history of the game to reach 500 home runs and ended his career with 512.
·He won two MVP awards, one in 1958 and the other in 1959
·He was chosen to be on the National League All Star team for 11 years.
·He was posthumously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977
What can we learn from Ernie Banks?
1. Take responsibility for your attitude — create your own weather. (To learn more about taking charge of your attitude, read John Maxwell's book, “The Difference Maker: Making Your Attitude Your Greatest Asset
.”)
2. Set the tempo; be a trend-setter.
3. Be loyal to your friends, family members, colleagues, and organization. (Ernie remained with the Chicago Cubs for 19 seasons.)
4. Focus on your circle of influence and not your areas of concern over which you have no control.
5. Take responsibility for your education and learning goals.
6. Learn to excel despite the political or social pressures or obstacles you'll face.
7. Strive to stay humble and grateful; no one is a self-made person.
a. (Ernie Banks understood he was blessed; between games he would walk through the poor neighborhoods on the south side of Chicago to remind himself of other people's lives.)
8. Give back and mentor someone less fortunate. (Ernie visited and supported little league teams in Illinois.)
Are you taking responsibility for your attitude and competence development?
One of the key attributes of being a high-performing project manager is taking ownership and responsibility for your project's outcome. Leaders take responsibility for both their results and outcome.
