At the risk of sounding overly sentimental watching the Yankees captain step up to the plate at his last All-Star Game this week brought tears to my eyes and made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. If you are a fan of Americas Pastime or sports generally or have a pulse youve probably heard the name Derek Jeter. While his pinstripes might cause many a non-Yankees fan to wince one thing is for certain Jeter garners a degree of respect uncommon in todays sporting world. In fact that level of admiration is just uncommon generally.
Its an unfortunate commentary on our society that you can scour your mind and come up short for examples of those in politics business media and entertainment for someone who is held is such high regard. It might sound trite but unfortunately we may not see the likes of him again.
Jeter personifies excellence class and professional standards that should serve as a model not only for those in professional sports but all of us. In so many ways he is the personification of the American Dream a kid from a middle class mixed-race family who tirelessly developed an enormous talent made it onto the national stage and never lost sight of basic values. As he ends his career on the field this season we should all take note of how he played the game. Perhaps more than any other group our politicians have much to learn from Jeters example. Here are five lessons our so-called leaders should take to heart. Maybe it would make for government that our citizens can respect again.- Do Your Job This might sound like a no-brainer but all too often in politics we see folks spending a lot more time telling people how someone else isnt doing their job instead of working hard at doing their own. Its the old glass houses analogy and it escapes most in the political class. Derek Jeter helped make other players better. He didnt just whine about how someone was under-performing publicly or privately. His first responsibility was to be the best he could be for the entire team. After proving his worth he then could turn his attention to helping to address weak spots in his organization. Thats leading by example.
- Dont Showboat This is a tough one for politicians but its essential to making government work. Theres always been a modesty about Jeter that adds to the publics appreciation for him. He just tips his hat thanks the crowd and heads back into the dugout. The President just gave a speech in which he used the word I more than 100 times. Thats not very Jeter-like. Elected officials need to talk less about themselves and more about others. They need to share the credit rather than horde the camera. They need to remember who put them where they are and why. Being humble is classy. People like it. Promote yourself by doing something. Remember Jeter knows hes one of the greatest players ever to set foot on a baseball field. But youd never hear him say it.
- Dont Blame Others for Your Own Failures Derek Jeter never pointed fingers. Just like anyone he has had his rough patches but he never blamed someone else publicly or privately for his bad game hit-less streak or error on the field. He took responsibility for his own actions and worked even harder to conquer those challenges. For politicians its always the Republicans fault or the Democrats fault or Bushs fault or Congresses fault. They shoot in every direction denying any blame so focused on pointing fingers that little time or energy is left for advancing solutions. Our public officials arent elected to just blast each other on television.
- Perform in the Clutch - Derek Jeter was never a big home-run hitter. He knew however how to stay calm and come through when the team needed him the most. Sometimes a bunt can be just as effective as hitting it over the fence. Sometimes a single was all that was needed to bring the guy on second base home. Sometimes the sacrifice fly ball made all the difference. For our elected officials facing a myriad of crises not the least of which is the crisis of confidence with the public now is the time to come through for American freedom. Massive debt deficits overreach national security immigration corruption and other chronic problems demand politicians resist the urge to only try to hit the elusive home run and just put the ball in play. Theres no right field short porch inWashington.
- Know When to Quit Perhaps this one is the most important in terms of sending a message to Washington or our state capitals. Jeter appreciates that hes made his contribution to the game. Hes done his best and left an indelible mark on history. At the ripe old age of 40 he knows its time to hang up his pinstripes. Too many cling to the game of politics long past the time when theyre effective. An entrenched political class leads to corruption a lack of innovation increasing barriers to participation by others and an overall stagnation of policy. Our Founders envisioned public service as a temporary honor not a lifelong profession. There is no doubt that Derek Jeter will find his own way to stay relevant to the game of baseball in the future. So too should public officials have the humility and vision to serve in different ways thereby injecting new blood into the system.