[January 28, 2017] I’ve been a baseball fan since I was 6 years old … being mature enough to appreciate the game. There were many professional ball players I liked as a child but my favorite player today is Cal Ripken, Jr. He’s my favorite because he was a great player (now retired) and understood that despite the fact he was indispensable, he was not irreplaceable. Everyone is replaceable.
“I always thought being a gamer and someone who had a sense of responsibility to the game and to my teammates was the honorable thing.” – Cal Ripken, Jr., American former baseball player
Ripken was self-effacing, selfless, and always held his team and teammates in high regard and as more important than himself. Everyone knew he was a baseball superstar and his team’s performance relied on his performance. Yet he knew that he could be replaced and that it was only a matter of time before that happened. Professional baseball is a game for the young, after all, and all players age.
I’ve written stories about some of my past commanders here at theLeaderMaker.com, both good and bad, … interestingly, many of them considered themselves irreplaceable. I always found that idea a contradiction to the basic tenants of the military. All military leaders put into place a chain of command who will replace them in the event they are killed in combat, seriously injured, or any host of reasons why they would not be capable of performing their duties.
All commanders are eventually replaced. While the best performing are sorely missed and the incoming commander lacking indispensable insider knowledge, the military unit continues to execute its mission. This is true for any organization. It may be hampered a little but in time, if the new senior leader is any good at all, everything will continue toward successful execution of their mission.
There are many leaders who believe they are indispensable and act as if they are personally exempt from the rules of leadership. All leaders know inside themselves that they will eventually hand the reins over to someone else. That is why strength of character, integrity, and perseverance is what matters most.1
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