Play for the Name on the Front of the Jersey

He didn’t seem at all daunted by the task ahead of him. The country was still reeling from the attacks of 9/11, embroiled in a disastrous war, the economy rocked by some of the worst business scandals in U.S. history, and growing corrosive partisanship, dividing the country. 

Winning his second term by the slimmest of margins, a mere .03 percent of the voting population, George W. Bush nonetheless stood there, triumphantly, claiming  “The people made it clear.”

Most of us, realizing just how tight the race was, how many people voted against us, and how formidable the task ahead was, would be more quivery than confident. 

Yet Bush is no different from others who ascend into positions of power—confident, proud, and eager to claim victory.   

But….

Consider This 

The morning he left his home in Mt Vernon to travel to New York, to be sworn in as the very first President of the newly created United States, George Washington wrote in his journal that he felt like a prisoner going to an execution. 

He wasn’t pumping his fists in the air; he wasn’t proud that he was unanimously elected by the Electoral College.  In fact, he confessed in his inaugural address that nothing could fill him with greater anxieties. 

Washington reluctantly took up the mantle of leadership because he knew that stepping into the newly created role of president meant he had to define and create the very role he was serving in.  His every action and inaction, his every decision and non-decision would have enormous consequences. The fate of the new country hung on his actions, and he knew the chances of failure were enormous. 

Putting it Into Play 

Stepping into a role of power is a momentous occasion and a massive responsibility. Whether it’s the role of President, mother, or manager, your responsibility is to elevate the role, to use it to serve others, to leave a legacy to be admired and followed. 

The New Zealand All Blacks rugby team, one of the winningest teams in history, are known for the slogans they live by. One of them is “play for the name on the front of the jersey, not the back.” They know that their responsibility is to protect and enhance the reputation of the team (not just promote their individual glory). 

And as long as they wear the jersey, their mandate is to leave that jersey in a better place for the player who follows them. 

It’s easy to forget that leading means serving others; that you are subservient to the role you play. It’s easy to forget because of the adulation leaders receive and the fight that got them there. 

But there’s a big difference between being a leader and being a winner. Winners feel heroic, but leaders feel humbled by the opportunities and responsibilities that await. They don’t lead for their own glory, but for the good of others. They don’t seek to enhance their own status but the status of their organization, team, or country. 

Like a sports player, when you step into a role, you’re putting on a jersey, you’re representing something bigger than yourself, that will live on after you go. It is, and should be, a humbling and frightening experience.