Unbridled Joy

Welcome to Doctober! I just finished watching Roy Halladay pitch a no-hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies in his first playoff game of his career. What a masterpiece! He threw 104 pitches, 79 for strikes.

What struck me about his performance was his skill, focus and unbridled joy at winning the game. He has been one of the top pitchers in the majors for many years. He works as hard as anyone relative to conditioning and has even added a pitch to his repertoire this year. As you watched him throw strike after strike, it was clear he was in the zone and focused at getting Reds out. Finally, when Carlos Ruiz threw out Brandon Phillips for the last out-the smile and joy radiated. His teammates mobbed him and they all enjoyed the moment.

There may have been questions about how he would perform in the post-season. Until today, he never pitched past the first weekend in October. I think he answered those questions. He will be a force throughout the playoffs and hopefully the World Series. He had plenty of stamina thanks to his work ethic.

As leaders, we can use Roy Halladay's performance as a teaching and coaching moment. Skill, focus and joy at your job will make you a valuable resource for your organization. Hone your craft and perform it at the highest level each day. Stay focused on the task at hand-don't let outside distractions take your eye off the ball. As important, love what you do and know that you're making a difference every day. Congratulations to Roy Halladay-may this be the first of many post-season wins!