I watched my three kids grow up playing Little League.
And I saw something that always bothered me.
You’d have a nine-year-old kid at bat… and the coach is acting like it’s the Final Four Championship game.
Screaming, over-managing, and tense.
Completely missing the point.
Half the time I just wanted to grab the coach and say: “What is wrong with you? What do you think these kids want?”
They want to run around. They want to laugh. They want a popsicle after the game. They want to love the game.
That’s it.
Don’t Confuse Your Ego with the Mission
My ghostwriter didn’t even want to include this chapter. She kept asking me, “Why are you writing this?”
Because I want Little League coaches to remember where they are.
Little League is not about scholarships or trophies. It’s not about you reliving your athletic career through a nine-year-old.
It’s about one thing: Do these kids fall in love with the game?
If they love it, they’ll stick with it. If they stick with it, they’ll improve. If they improve, they’ll win.
But it starts with love.
This Isn’t Just About Little League
Leadership is the same way.
Are you building an environment where people love the game? Or are you so obsessed with performance that you’ve sucked the joy out of it?
When people love what they do:
- They work harder.
- They stay longer.
- They get better.
When they feel pressure without purpose? They burn out.
Be a Human
At the end of the day, this is simple.
Be a human.
Understand what matters most in that moment.
With Little League, what matters most is that kids love the game.
In business, what matters most is that your people love the work, love growing, love being part of something meaningful.
Do it for the love of the game.
If you get that right, everything else follows.
Explore more leadership themes in Gui's book, "Be Kind" here!
