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Character wins
Kevin DeShazo
February 29, 2024
Thursday, February 29
After the basketball game for our middle son on Saturday, I was standing on the court talking to the other coach and a couple of parents, celebrating the end of the season. As I walked over to my wife, I noticed one of the players and his dad were picking up all the trash from our bench (it was the last game of the day, and water/gatorade bottles had accumulated behind the benches).
They didn’t have to do it. It wasn’t their trash - it most likely wasn’t even from our team as every kid has a water jug- and the facility has a cleaning crew. They certainly weren’t looking for credit or attention for it. It’s just who they are.
I walked over to them as they finished and told them I appreciated the example they set. That it is no surprise that their kid is such a high character teammate when he has parents who set that kind of standard. The son was the only one who came up to myself and the other coach after every practice and every game and told us thank you. He’s a solid player but he’s an ideal teammate. I’ve told the story a few times to other parents who know them as a way to honor and celebrate the family.
Contrast that to today when I was in the break room at a client’s office. I was getting a cup of coffee when I noticed a few of the employees were discussing a small spill on the floor. They wondered who had done it, but left the room without wiping it up. “Not my problem,” one of them said as they walked out the door. I considered mentioning it to the CEO (without naming names), but instead talked about creating a culture of personal responsibility and ownership.
Character isn’t about doing the right thing when everyone is watching. It’s about doing the right thing without worrying if anybody is watching. It’s about doing the thing that’s not your job and fixing the thing that’s not your problem. Too often we turn our backs to things we can easily fix or address. And then we complain about others and wonder why things never get better.
If you can make something better, make it better.
In the long run, character is a competitive advantage. Be worth following.
Keep chopping wood. 🪵🪓
-Kevin