One Play Can Make a Difference

Each week, hundreds of games are played at the professional level.  It is uncanny how many times a game, or even a season can turn on one play.  Last Saturday, Penn State had stopped the Alabama Crimson Tide on third down.  Alabama had a fake punt and made the first down by an inch.  The game was never the same.  Alabama won handily. 

Take the Pittsburgh Pirates this year.  They were the "darling" of the majors and were actually in first place for a few days in July.  On July 25th, they came into Atlanta for a four game series.  The third game was great.  It went 19 innings and ended on a very controversial "safe" call at home plate by the Braves.  Though they split the series, the Bucs weren't the same and have gone 13-31 since that game.  They will once again finish the season with a losing record. 

Though we may not have a "play" as leaders-we have moments where we can make a difference.  It may be losing your composure, saying the wrong thing, showing compassion, making a decision.  I have found in my career that making decisions on limited or one-sided information quickly often comes back to haunt me.  This is not about intuition (another blog down the line) but about making a difference based on your leadership.  Organizations are defined by their leaders-make your plays count.